In Search of Absolution
by SaLiEnT ThOuGhTs
Summary: Hermione, Ginny, and Pansy must work together to end a 3000 year old curse before it takes everything they hold dear. HG/DM, GW/HP, PP/BZ. Repost of Restless by kimberlylynne421.
1. Alone in the Darkness

Chapter 1

Alone in the Darkness

"I don't think you are helping me reach my goals in life," Ron Weasley mumbled, his voice wavering slightly. He stood with his back to Hermione Granger, his long arms hanging limply at his sides. As usual, his school robes were slightly disheveled, as though he hadn't put much effort into his appearance. _No surprise there._

Hermione Granger, who had just walked into the room, stopped dead in her tracks. His words hit her like a slap in the face. She had rushed to the Astronomy Tower as soon as she had gotten the note from Ron's owl, thinking Ron was going to surprise her. She felt the chill of the April breeze whip her frizzy, light brown curls across her face. _Well, _she thought_, this isn't exactly the surprise I had in mind!_ She was so surprised in fact that she couldn't even think of anything to say in response. She just stood there and looked at his back, as the memories of their times together played through her mind.

He had grown taller over the year that they had been together; Quidditch had made his once lanky frame long and lean, and well defined. He reminded her of her favorite Muggle piece of art, Michelangelo's statue of David. She used to love just watching him, his figure filling her with unfulfilled lust, now as she looked at his back she felt nothing, nothing at all, except anger.

Her memories continued to play in the back of her mind. She and Ron had known each other for so long that everyone, even the two of them, had expected to end up together. Finally, at the end of their 5th year, Ron had asked her out. She had just ended things with the internationally famous Quidditch player, Viktor Krum. He wasn't very bright and it was frustrating that he could never pronounce her name correctly.

The silly Bulgarian had come up with numerous ways to _not_ say 'Hermione'. She laughed to herself at the memory. In the end, she and Viktor had decided they were too different to be together and separated on friendly terms. She still wrote to him now and again. He was much more interesting when they weren't together, she mused.

Now here she was a year later, and the last person she had never expected to hurt her, had done just that, in the worst way. He injured her pride. Oh he hadn't said it yet, but she knew this talk was going. He was going to leave her.

"I am sorry you feel that way," she whispered through gritted teeth.

"I think we need to separate," Ron continued. He placed his cold hands on the even colder gray stone of the window sill. "You are a great woman who needs more than I can give. My personality gets taken over by yours. You need a stronger person to be by your side and I just wish you could understand why I am doing this. I see a bad future for us years down the road with a kid, with both of us feeling trapped. You deserve more and I am sorry for this, but I can't face you, because I would go weak in my knees." Ron let out a deep breath and continued with the speech he had been practicing for the last two days.

"I never got the chance to just be one of the guys, because you have always been there. You can never be replaced by anyone else. I just need some time. I think we might be able to work this out, but that is only if you get over your pride. If you can do that, I would like to try being just friends again for the summer and then maybe in the fall, after I spend some time with the guys, we can try again."

She couldn't believe what she had just heard. _Was he insane?_ _A break? Was he joking? A break was never effective; it was just a man's way of delaying the inevitable. What a surprise. He was chickening out. _Hermione could feel the shock being quickly replaced by fury, red hot fury. _Never be replaced? Ron's dumber than I thought! He is replacing me with his _friends_! What a moron! My pride! What the hell is his problem? It's not my fault he mistakes my intelligence for pride, _she fumed. _Okay, I'll be fair. I am a bit too proud. Oh, well!_

"I never stopped you," Hermione said with cold disdain obvious in her voice as she slowly shook her head, her long brown curls shaking as rage completely filled her, but she would never let him see it. Furious tears gathered in her hazel eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall.

An angry, yelling Hermione was safe, but a silent, calm angry Hermione was terrifying. She knew it, and even more, she knew Ron know it. _That's right, you chicken shit, be afraid!_

Another cool breeze whipped in through the tower window and ruffled his red hair. He gazed at the moonlit landscape before him and wished he were down there instead of in this room with Hermione. He was afraid. He couldn't even face her. He was wrong and he knew it, but that didn't change anything. He was taking the coward's way out. Ronald Weasley, part of the infamous Gryffindor Trio, was a coward, plain and simple. Hermione scared the shit out of him, especially when she purposely hid how she was feeling. She was so talented and perfect, but when faced with a future with her, he was running away.

Hermione clutched the insides of her pristine; wrinkleless school robes as she looked at the back of the boy she had grown to love over the past few years. _That's right, _she thought, _he is boy, not a man. No real man could be that much of a coward!_

Ron continued to look out the window. He had never been good with words. Hermione always left him with a feeling of inadequacy. As he gathered his thoughts, he turned around, his thoughts forming on his chapped lips.

"Hermione, I…," he started, but Hermione was gone.

A cold breeze washed into the room and extinguished the torch that lit the room. She was gone.

*~*~*~*~*~*

After Hermione left the Astronomy Tower, she hurried down the steps, her dark robes billowing behind her, and headed towards the Gryffindor Tower, her sanctuary. _Well, it used to be my sanctuary! _She stopped in her tracks.

_What am I going to do now_, she asked herself. She and Ron had been together so long, everything in her life was intertwined with his. They were both in Gryffindor, so she would never be able to fully escape his presence. Two of her best friends were his best friends too, Harry Potter, and his younger sister, Ginny. His parents had become her second family. They would still have classes together and she would have to see the red headed, freckle covered, sorry excuse for a wizard at every meal until they graduated, next year.

By the time she reached the portrait of the Fat Lady that guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, she had passed hurt and shock; she was fuming mad.

"Loyalty and Honor," she growled at the portrait. _Loyalty and Honor my ass! She thought. Ron's cowardly ass should be in Slytherin! That's where cowards belong. Some Gryffindor he is! Needs a break, does he? More like he is scared to leave me outright. I should have hexed off his bits! At least I'd be in a better mood now!_

"Open the damn door!" Hermione practically yelled at the Fat Lady.

"Well, I never…" Hermione heard the Fat Lady exclaim. Hermione ignored the indignant portrait, and slammed the door behind her, causing the students in the common room to halt their conversations, but they quickly resumed them seeing that it was only Hermione and not a sneaky Slytherin.

She looked at the sight before her. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were sitting together and Ginny was laughing at something Harry had just said. Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan were playing wizard's chess by the warm, roaring fire. Various other students were scattered about the room, surrounded by books, quills, and parchment, all happy and content.

As she surveyed the common room before her, the place where she and Ron had shared so many happy nights with their friends, it finally hit her. Ron had left her. He didn't have to say it, she knew what he had meant when he said break. _He just forgot to add 'permanently' to the end of it!_ Her once safe world was falling apart. The anger and fury had left her and sadness and regret had taken its place. She caught herself before her subdued tears began to fall and walked stonily up the stairs to the girls' dormitory to her room.

Harry looked at Hermione's hastily retreating form and then at his best friend's little sister, Ginny, who was sitting next to him in an over-stuffed burgundy chair next to him. Her pretty pale face was marred by a look of confusion that reached her sparkling blue eyes.

"I wonder what is going on?" he asked, to no one in particular, confusion apparent in his emerald eyes. He ran his hand through his already messy black hair.

Just then, Ron entered the common room looked around, a serious expression on his face until he joined Neville and Seamus, giving them advice on their chess match. As Harry watched him, Ron quickly seemed to lose the solemn look on his face and was soon laughing and joking as though there was nothing amiss in the world. Harry pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to figure out exactly what was wrong.

Harry was definitely confused. First Hermione was upset, then Ron came in upset at first, and then like a snap of the fingers, it was as though nothing were wrong with him, as if nothing had happened. Ginny shifted in the squishy chair next to him.

"I am going to find out what is going on here," she announced. She bounced out of the chair next to Harry and gave him a half smile that seemed to say; _at least I hope I can find out what is going on_. "Goodnight, love," she whispered so low, only she could hear the words of endearment, and hurried up the stairs to the room Hermione shared with the other sixth year Gyffindors: Lavender Brown, Katie Bell, Pavarti Patil and Romilda Vane, her long red hair swinging behind her.

As Ginny gently closed the door to the room, she was welcomed by the lush burgundy bed clothes on the dark mahogany beds. The five beds were centered on the walls of the hexagonal shaped room, with the foot of the beds facing the center of the room. The room was shrouded in darkness, except for a lone white candle in a gold candlestick beside Hermione's bed. Dark maroon drapes, held back by shining gold clasps, concealed a trembling figure. Ginny crossed the golden carpet and headed towards Hermione's bed.

She pulled back the curtains and was shocked at how she found Hermione. Ginny's best friend, the 'rock' of the Golden Trio, was seated in the middle of the bed, knees to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs, rocking herself back and forth. Her head was hidden by her arms and she was sobbing.

Ginny climbed on the bed and sat next to her best friend. She placed her arm around Hermione's shoulder and rocked with her, making soothing sounds and rubbing her back. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here now," Ginny cooed. "Come on, Hermione, tell me what happened. Did you and Ron have and argument? Come on," Ginny whispered, "you can tell me."

Hermione lifted her head, and for a few seconds, just starred ahead of her at the door. "He wants to take a break," she whispered. Then she began to cry even harder. Tears streamed down her red eyes and across her tear stained face.

Ginny kept rocking with Hermione. "That's not so bad is it? He just wants to take a break. Whenever he is ready, he will come back. Just wait and see." Ginny said, "Everything will work out, you'll see."

_If only you knew. _Hermione sobbed to herself. _He is never coming back to me. He never wanted me anyway. I was never enough for him._

Ginny thought of her own predicament as she rubbed Hermione's back. She loved Harry so much, since the first time she had seen him, but she could never tell him. She wouldn't trouble him with her feelings. He already had enough on his plate just trying to figure out how to defeat Lord Voldemort. She would wait until he was ready. _Whenever that might be, _she thought sadly to herself. She kept rocking with Hermione, feeling her best friend's pain, because Ginny Weasley knew what it was like to love someone and not have them return those feelings.

After a while, Ginny helped Hermione lay back and then covered her with the warm comforter. Ginny blew out the candle by Hermione's bed and closed the curtains.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The day after didn't seem too horrible to the lonely Gryffindor as she rolled out of bed before any of her roommates were awake. Hermione was depressed and exhausted, but all in all she wasn't in _too_ bad a shape. She pulled on her long cream colored robe, grabbed her things and hurried to the prefect's bathroom.

By the time Hermione had reached the fifth floor, her mood hadn't improved. The stone floors were freezing, and every portrait between the Gryffindor tower and the bathroom commented on how awful she looked this morning, _as if I didn't already know_!

"Squeaky clean," she growled at the statue of Boris the Bewildered. Much like the night before, the password keepers didn't take to kindly to being barked at. Well, she didn't like the fact that they had swapped the boy and girl prefects bathrooms. The boys' bathroom was closer now.

As the door swung open, she was slightly taken aback by the extravagant candle-filled chandelier. Its brilliance reflected off of the white marble fixtures and the hundred gold taps that lined the bath. The bath itself was almost the size of a swimming pool, complete with a diving board. A pile of fluffy white towels were folded neatly and laid on a marble bench beneath a very sumptuous, but narcissistic, mermaid statue who was too busy preening herself to notice Hermione.

Thank goodness she was a Prefect; it afforded her the luxury of a semi-private luxurious bathroom. The other prefects; Hannah Abbot, Padma Patil, and Pansy Parkinson; were not early birds like her. When she made it inside, she closed the door and performed a locking charm, just in case someone decided to make an extremely early morning visit to the bathroom.

She laid down her clean school robes on a marble bench next to the enormous bathtub. She turned the water on in the gigantic tub and water quickly began to shoot out of at least ten holes in the side of it. Hermione slowly began to strip off her forest green satin nightgown. She grabbed the hem, pulling it over her head, folded it neatly and placed it on the bench next to her clean robes. _Who would have thought prim Miss Granger would wear such clothes to bed_, she laughed to herself, as she looked at her night dress. It was the only item of clothing she owned that could not be considered prudish.

Hermione gazed at her nude form in the mirror that took up an entire wall. _I am not that bad looking, am I?_ She asked herself. _Sure my hips are a little wide, my bum is exceptionally round, my thighs could be a little slimmer, and my chest could be a little larger. But all in all, I don't look all that bad_, she thought to herself.

Hermione leaned in closer to the mirror for a more thorough inspection of her face. Her normally shining eyes were still a bit red from crying. Her bushy hair looked like a family of chipmunks had made their home there. _Well, that is nothing a nice warm bath and a bottle of Sleekeasy's hair potion can't fix…hopefully_.

She climbed into the half full tub of steaming water. She waded through the knee deep water and over to the wall that held the numerous spouts that produced bubble bath, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. She chose the knob labeled "hazelnut bubble bath" and turned it on. After a minute, she turned it off. She moved over to the side, sat on the built in seat, and leaned back against the marble tile that lined the inside of the tub. She let the steam and warmth of the water soak in to her body while the scented bubbles relaxed her troubled mind.

After her mind slowed down, her body began to relax immediately. Five minutes later, she moved over to the spouts again and chose the spout labeled shampoo and began to work it into her thick brown hair. She rinsed out the scented suds and repeated the process, but with the corresponding conditioner. When she had completed that task, she chose hazelnut scented body wash and using her favorite sea sponge loofah, she began scrubbing her body vigorously, as though she was trying to remove the evidence of every time Ron had ever touched her. Finally, she was finished and rinsed; she wrung out the excess water in her hair and stepped out.

Hermione reached for one of the large white towels that were neatly folded next to the tub. She dried herself off and wrapped it around her body, securing one edge by tucking it in. She moved to the bench where her things were. Next to her wand and clothes were two bottles, a bottle of hazelnut body lotion and a bottle of Sleekeasy's hair potion. Hermione poured a handful of concoction into her hand and closed the lid. She thoroughly worked it into her hair, in an attempt to tame the huge mass of tangles, she affectionately called her hair. After several minutes her hair was looking manageable at least. She grabbed her wand and performed two drying spells, first on her hair, and then on her loofah. She hated when the other prefects left a trail of water spots from the bathroom to their dorms.

Not wanting to deal with her hair today, she put it up in a bun at the nape of her neck. She picked up the bottle of lotion and began smoothing it across ever inch of her skin. She reached over for her clean clothes and picked up her underclothes. _Sensible white cotton for Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor prude_! She thought angrily to herself as she put them on. _Maybe that is why Ron left me._ Hermione put on her school skirt and shirt while sadly shaking her head. She slid her white knee high tights up her legs and put on plain black shoes. _Plain everything, for plain Hermione._ She grabbed her things, and headed for the door.

"Alohomora!" she said and with a flick of her wrist, she unlocked the door, opened the door, walked out and walked straight into Draco Malfoy.

His normally sleek hair was bed mussed and his silver eyes seemed to look through her. "Sorry," she muttered as she put her head down and walked quickly past him towards Gryffindor Tower, leaving a sleepy Slytherin in her wake.

*~*~*~*~*~*

For Hermione, the day didn't improve with time. At breakfast that morning, when everyone noticed that she and Ron were on separate ends of the Gryffindor table, they began to ask questions. Everyone was asking what was wrong and if they could help, but all Hermione wanted was to be left the hell alone. No one seemed to understand that, except Ginny, who gave Hermione comforting glances, a hug when she looked like she needed it, and refused to let anyone actually talk to her.

After the first ten people approached her that morning before classes, she decided to avoid them for the rest of the day and retreated silently to the seventh floor. Without thinking Hermione began pacing past the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and a handful of uncoordinated ballet trolls. After the third pass, she walked through the door that had appeared out of nowhere.

The room, as usual, contained exactly what she needed. It was small and cozy, a comforting fireplace crackling softly. The lighting fit Hermione's current mood. Dark and brooding. The Room of Requirement seemed to know just what she needed. The darkness morphed before her eyes. A bed, an exact replica of the one at her home, was against one wall, a nightstand beside it. On the small nightstand lay her tattered copy of Hogwarts: A History and a steaming cup of cocoa. Hermione slipped off her cape and shoes and settled into bed with her favorite book and her favorite drink.

When she finally emerged from her haven in time for dinner, Ron was acting as though nothing had happened, like she never existed; like they had never existed. He played, joked and acted as if he had not a care in the world. _Sorry heartless bastard!_ Hermione thought through her tears.

The shock of seeing how the end of their relationship affected him almost made Hermione lose it. Her hazel eyes widened and all she could feel was loneliness and pain, something she was sure would last her the rest of her life. She rushed from the Great Hall without taking even one bite.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The rest of the school year was a dark haze to Hermione. Like all the sixth years, Hermione would have to decide on a career path. She was determined to study to be a Healer. There were no exams to take until her N.E.W.T.S. at the end of her seventh year. In a very un-Hermione-like fashion, she quit working on her school work. She was already two months ahead in her class work, so she didn't show up to class unless there was an exam, and she owled all of her homework to her teachers. When she did show up she worked furiously on her test so she could get out of there as quickly as possible and retreat into the Room of Requirement for the rest of her time.

The Room of Requirement became Hermione's private place. It was filled with books and had everything she could possibly need. After her first day, Dobby began to show up to bring her food and clean up in general for her. Hermione tried to talk him out of it, but Dobby, being a free elf, refused to listen to her and did it anyway.

Hermione barely touched her food, and was quickly losing weight. It began to worry all of her teachers, except for Professor Snape. He was thrilled! Okay, to be honest, he wasn't pleased with her self-injurious weight loss. It was the very conspicuous absence of her person from his class. When the greasy haired professor first noticed her not trying to answer every question in his class during the week after she and Ron broke up, he was curious, but after the second week, he exclaimed to the entire class, "It looks like the Know-It- All has finally learned to shut her trap!" The Slytherins began to snicker until Professor Snape had said, "Five points to Gryffindor for this blessed silence from Miss Granger's incessant chatter!" _That sure shut up the students of his house!_

He had hoped she would start to argue so he could take away the points, but she didn't even flinch. _Something must definitely be wrong_, Snape thought for a moment before moving closer to Neville, causing the poor boy to add too much Sneezewort to the Befuddlement Draught they were brewing, resulting in a small, but loud explosion as well as 20 points from Gryffindor for being incompetent.

Harry, Ginny, and her other friends were worried. Every time someone tried to talk to her about what was wrong, she would absentmindedly tell them everything was "Fine, just fine," before she would walk off and disappear for hours, walking around the grounds of the school alone, or returning to her private domain on the seventh floor.

And so she stayed, alone in the darkness.


	2. A New Beginning

Chapter 2

A New Beginning

Finally after four weeks of this behavior, Dumbledore decided enough was enough.

As Hermione was walking out of the Great Hall, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. "Miss Granger, will you please join me in my office for a little chat?" A familiar voice asked softly.

Hermione barely noticed what was said to her, but she followed the Headmaster down the draft halls, past the gargoyle, and up the winding stairs to his office. Once inside, the Headmaster asked her to sit, knowing that offering her a sweet wouldn't make a bit of difference.

"Miss Granger, it has come to my attention that you have been leaving much to be desired in your school work this past month. As the brightest witch of your age, I can see that whatever has happened to drive you off your steady course must be heart wrenching."

Hermione noticed his eyes began to lighten to a sky blue. "Sadly, I don't believe that any matter concerning a Mr. Weasley to be all that life alerting. Ronald has never shown the intelligence or promise of his other siblings, Miss Granger. He simply doesn't understand or appreciate when something good is thrown his way. He lost a treasure in you. Of that I am positive. Someone out there has been pining for someone exactly like you their entire lives."

The Headmaster's eyes twinkled from under his half crescent spectacles, pulling her out of her the fog that had began to form in her mind again. "That is the kind of man you deserve, not some schoolboy who doesn't know any better."

As Hermione sat there, she heard what the Headmaster said, without it really registering. She already knew all these things. She wasn't the brightest witch of her age for nothing! But knowing it didn't change the way she felt about everything or how she was handling it. Ron had still hurt her, and the pain was still there. She was still a female, despite the strength she showed the world. She couldn't seem to let go of the pain. She needed a change, and soon.

As though he was reading her mind, the Headmaster spoke again, "Because you have such potential and I hate to see it wasted thus, I have decided to send you home early."

Hermione began to say something, but the Dumbledore raised his hand to silence her.

"Your teachers, including the _formidable _Professor Snape, have all agreed that you have learned all you needed to in their classes. I hope that with this extra time off, you will come back next year a new person. The _happy,_ bright eyed girl I remember."

He stood up and walked over to the chair where she was sitting and grabbed her hand. "The train will leave this Saturday at 10 o'clock. I have already owled your parents. Unfortunately, they are out of town on business, so you will be going to stay with your Aunt Candy until your parents return." The headmaster ushered her out of her seat and towards the door before she even had a chance to say anything. "Good night, Ms. Granger, I wish you safe travel and a pleasant holiday!"

Something snapped into place for Hermione. She finally realized that everything Dumbledore had said was true. With this in mind, Hermione wordlessly from her seat and walked to the Gryffindor Tower, for the first time in a month. With her recently acquired absentminded expression she entered and went straight to her room and closed the door.

She sat down at her desk and pulled out a parchment. And began to write swiftly her final goodbye to the man she had once loved. He had made her feel like she was not good enough. It was her biggest fear, and he had taken advantage of it. It was why she worked so hard in school. She needed to feel like she was good enough. Being Muggleborn always pushed her to prove that she was as good as any other witch or wizard, and that was why she was at the top of her class at Hogwarts. _I'll be damned if he makes me feel this way a minute longer!_

Ron,

You were right, I am a great woman and I need more than you can give me. Your cowardly personality does get taken over by mine. I definitely need a stronger person by my side. I understand why you chickened out and could not leave me out right…you have no balls. You were right about the future, too. I am sorry you were too weak to talk to me to my face. It is not my fault you are a coward and should be in Slytherin with the rest of the cowards, instead of Gryffindor. I am glad that I will never have to give you so much as a second thought. Will you be my one and only? Probably not. There has to be something out there better than you. Don't worry, when we get back to school, I won't be waiting on you to take me back.

My pride and I wouldn't stoop that low.

H. Granger

She smiled as she signed her name. After she folded it up and tied it with a scarlet ribbon, she tapped it with her wand and said a short spell. The paper turned red, and she smiled deviously to herself. She would send it by owl in the morning before catching the train home. She laid it gingerly on the desk and turned to the foot of her bed.

She soundlessly pulled out her trunk and started laughing quietly. She was going home, to enjoy four Ronald Bilius Weasley free months! And to her favorite aunt no less! Hermione placed everything she had left in her dorm room in her trunk with a sense of renewed purposed. When she was finished, she shrunk it and placed it in her pocket and was off to the Room of Requirement to pack the rest of her things. Before she drifted off to sleep, she thought, _this will be my new beginning, _and for the first time in a month, she slept through the night without one single thought of Ron.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After getting off the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross Station in London, Hermione began scanning the platform for her Aunt Candy Riordan. Finally, after a few seconds, Hermione spotted her aunt. Aunt Candy was an Amazon of a woman. She was six feet, four inches tall with long, wavy dirty blonde hair, and a knockout figure. She also had hazel eyes, just like Hermione's. Hermione rushed towards her Aunt Candy.

"Hey there, little girl! Long time no see! What is new in your world?" She asked excitedly, but when she saw the look on Hermione's face change from ecstatic pleasure to deep pain, she changed tactics. "Never mind what was wrong. There is nothing a little retail therapy and travel won't fix!" Aunt Candy hugged her niece. "Well, let's go get your trunk."

Hermione's Aunt Candy was Hermione's favorite aunt. That did not mean that she didn't love her Aunt Muffin, or her mother Cookie. Yes, her grandmother had given her three daughters strange names, Candy, Cookie, and Muffin, but they really did suit them. In an odd way. Other people may think it was strange, or weird, but Hermione didn't see it any more odd than the naming traditions in wizarding families, the Black's for instance. It just meant that she and her aunt had a closer bond than she had with anyone else she knew.

Hermione was pleased that one of Aunt Candy's reigning philosophies about interfering dictated that if someone wants to share what was going on in their lives, one should listen and offer an opinion, without condemnation, which is what usually happened with Hermione's mother and less so with her Aunt Muffin. She understood that Hermione would open up when the time came. Until then, Aunt Candy would try to divert as much pain as possible.

Her aunt hurried through the busy station, over to where the trunks were being unloaded and then smiled prettily at one of the young men unloading the baggage, while her niece tried to keep up. One dark haired man stopped what he was doing and promptly asked if he could be of assistance.

"Could you please help me with that big ole' red trunk, the one with H. Granger on the lid?" she asked in her best southern belle accent.

Hermione laughed under her breath. Her aunt had traveled all over Europe and the United States and easily picked up accents, and knew how to get men to do exactly what she wanted without the poor men knowing what was going on. _Well, everyone had their gifts_, she thought to herself. _Use it or lose it, _her aunt always said. Aunt Candy was definitely using it. _I wish I could do that. I would have told Ron Weasley to go jump off the Astronomy Tower!_

Soon they were on their way to her aunt's current hotel suite, in London for this week, at least. By the time they got settled, all Hermione wanted to do was curl up in her bed with a warm pot of tea and a good book. Aunt Candy understood this immediately upon entering Hermione's room.

"Well, why don't you relax for the rest of the evening, and I'll ring for tea cakes and a pot of black tea, as I know how much you love them." She sat on the edge of her niece's bed. "I asked your parents if you could with me for the whole summer, and they agreed."

Hermione brightened up immediately. It wasn't that she didn't love her parents, it was just that she knew she couldn't handle prying. She just needed some time to come to terms with things. Privately.

"Tomorrow, we will start our vacation. I hope it will be memorable and invigorating for you. You need a change, and I am going to make sure you get it!" Aunt Candy smiled at her. She knew Hermione would need time to relax and unwind before the fun began. "You know, you have always been so strong. Not only for us, your family, but also for those boys. Hermione, your mum has always taught you to give everything you have to whatever you feel strongly about. You give selflessly all you have to causes that you feel strongly about, like that elf thing you are always writing about."

Hermione started to tear up as her aunt spoke. She is right, of course, she thought to herself. "I know; I just don't know any other way to be. It just seems like I am constantly trying to prove myself to someone. I am just so tired!"

"That is exactly what I am trying to say. I know that you feel like you need to prove yourself. You love how it feels when your friends and family are proud of you, but then again, you feel like your pride is wrong." She handed her niece a tissue.

"What am I supposed to do? I can't just stop what I am doing. I can't stop studying, or working on S.P.E.W., or helping Harry."

Aunt Candy smile. "You have to do it for the right reason, love."

"What is the right reason, if not to help others?"

"For you. Do it because first and foremost, at the end of the day, it makes you happy. If you do it for any other reason, you will grow resentful and angry. Just like I know you feel now about that boy. You may have started off helping him because it made you feel happy, but I'll bet even before this break-up you were beginning to grow resentful of the help you gave him."

Hermione blushed. _That is not…yes it is. It is so true. _

Aunt Candy kissed her niece on her forehead and then took her chin in her hand. "Just remember: There is only one person you have to live with for the rest of your live. You. Sure, continue helping others, if it makes you happy."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

June 1st marked the beginning of a new Hermione Jane Granger. When the early morning sunlight lit up her room, she felt alive again. She didn't wake up and begin to think of what she could have been. She had cried her last tears for a boy who didn't deserve her. She had spent her last second thinking of him. From now on, she was going to enjoy every moment of her summer break, and more importantly the rest of her life.

Hermione and her aunt went out for dinner, and when they got back, Aunt Candy told her to go on up to her room. "I have to meet some friends of mine for drinks, I'll be up later to say goodnight," she said with a smile.

Hermione walked slowly to her room. She pulled out her key and unlocked the door. She opened the door and turned on the lights.

"Surprise!" yelled Ginny from across the room, just as the lights came on. The red head ran over to hug Hermione. "Are you surprised?"

"Merlin, Ginny, you scared the living hell out of me! How on earth did you get here? School only got out yesterday." Hermione was quickly trying to figure out how Ginny got here so fast and quickly concluded her aunt had somehow planned the whole thing. She had to remember to thank her favorite aunt in the whole world!

"Well," Ginny began, sitting on Hermione's bed. "After you left, Dumbledore called me to his office. He said that your aunt would like to invite me to spend the summer with the both of you. All I had to do was owl mum and ask her if I could go. At first mum said no, but then Dumbledore explained about Ron and you."

Ginny stopped here and looked at Hermione, who was a little shocked that everyone was discussing her business so freely. "Don't worry, mum is very upset with Ron, but she can't really make him do anything about it. I told her I couldn't stand the sight of Ron right now and told her how much better you would feel if I were with you."

She grinned evilly. "I also explained to her that if I stayed I wasn't sure if I could keep from hexing him on sight every time I saw him, and that I had almost perfected a new jinx that would make my signature Bat Bogey Hex look like child's play. You should have seen her face. That tipped the scales and she let me come! I was so excited. If only she knew that there was no such jinx in the works, but with the twins and their antics, she couldn't take the chance!

"Your aunt even told me I didn't need to bring anything! I packed my things and sent them home with Ron. Dumbledore Side-Along Apparated to get me here in time to surprise you, and well here I am!" Ginny finished and took a big breath. She hugged Hermione again.

Hermione was so happy her best friend was here with her. This really was going to be a great vacation! Aunt Candy soon joined the girls and room service followed within half an hour. The three women enjoyed fresh fruits and champagne. Then Aunt Candy revealed her plan for the summer.

"In one week, you two are off to Westmeath County, which is known as the 'County of Lakes and Legends.' You will be staying at a nice guesthouse near Mullingar. You girls will pretty much be on your own. I will come by on the weekends to check on you." Aunt Candy stopped when she saw the girls' jaws drop. They couldn't believe she was going to let them go unsupervised.

"Don't tell me you don't want to go off on your own and explore a bit?" The older woman paused for a moment.

"We do!" They almost yelled at the same time.

"I am glad to hear it. You two are too old to have a babysitter. It's time you girls got out and lived a little." Aunt Candy said with a hearty smile. "Besides, my German properties and investments are in need of a little upkeep and maintenance. Tomorrow, and for the rest of the week, I want the two of you to go out, and have fun. Go to a spa, buy a new wardrobe, and reinvent yourselves. Start fresh. Here is a card to pay for whatever you need. Don't think of anyone but yourselves for once. Just be safe and call if you need anything."

She smiled, and added, "Oh yeah, don't worry about how much you spend, because that card has no limit. You have my last four husbands and the wonderful divorce settlements I got from them to thank for all this! The most important lesson I learned, don't get mad, and get everything!"

She walked over to the girls, said goodnight and hugged them both. She left the room and within five minutes both girls were in bed, but it would be hours before they slept. They were too excited about the adventures awaiting them in London.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning the girl's dressed quickly, and hailed a taxi. Aunt Candy had suggested they start their adventure with a visit to her favorite salon, Taylor & Taylor, London. It was a high priced boutique salon on Commercial St. She had called ahead to tell the owner they were coming and that Hermione and Ginny were going to get 'the works' as Aunt Candy called it.

Margo Taylor, the owner, met Hermione and Ginny at the door. After an hour long consultation, the girls were guided to chairs. The hair stylists started with a haircut and color for both the girls. For Hermione, they decided on cutting off her waist length hair so that it rested three inches below her chin, and thinning it considerably to eliminate the bushiness. Hermione's once light mousy brown hair would be dyed a rich dark chocolate brown.

Ginny on the other hand would be going only slightly shorter and lighter. The stylist started by trimming Ginny's waist length hair to just below her shoulders, and giving her long bangs. Her fiery red hair was then bleached, to keep the dye from having a red tint, and then darkened to dark dirty blonde, leaving a few of the bleached strands, for a highlighted look.

While the girls were waiting to have the dye washed out, they had a meeting with two women they later decided should be shot, the waxing specialists. It was Ginny's idea to try something neither of them had ever done. Despite their suppressed screams, they had their eyebrows, underarms, bikini, and legs waxed. They both knew that hours later, no days later, they would appreciate this, but right now, it hurt like hell!

After the waxing from hell, the dye was rinsed out, and they moved on to a full body massage, complete with Localized Aroma Treatments. After that, the girls felt like they had gotten their second wind and were ready for anything.

Next on their beauty agenda was for their hair to be styled. For now, Margo decided, they would not fight the natural tendencies of the girls' hair. Ginny's would be straightened with a flat iron, and Hermione's curls would be defined.

The new hair style was followed by an amazingly relaxing manicure and pedicure. Their day at the spa was ended with the girls getting tips on makeup from Margo, whose specialty was cosmetic application, as well as a brand new set of cosmetics.

When the girls went up to pay, Hermione and Ginny almost fainted when they saw that their day of beauty had cost almost a thousand pounds! "Well she did say to have fun, and with the exception of the waxing, today was fun…" Ginny said with a semi-pained look.

"Don't blame me! It was your idea to try new things! I knew it was stupid from the start." Hermione said, laughing.

Ginny huffed. "How was I supposed to know it would hurt so bloody bad?" She mumbled about 'bloody Muggles" and "sadistic torture" as they left the salon.

"Oh, well. I guess that _adventure _is thanks to Uncle Tommy's idiocy for choosing alcohol instead of Aunt Candy." Hermione grinned. "I wonder what Elijah has made possible… I think it is a shopping spree!!"

The girls had lunch and then made their way to a few of the shops nearby, looking for something to wear the next day when they did shopped for their new wardrobes. In less than three hours the girls had stopped at six stores and made short work of just under two thousand pounds.

After a full day of fun, they returned sleepily to their room, ate a quick dinner, and fell asleep almost instantly. They dreamed of the fun they would have in the week to come.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next four days were spent in utter bliss. Neither girl considered herself a 'girly girl'; Ginny out of necessity with six older brothers and Hermione by choice. To both of them, there were more important things than petty material things, like clothes. They got to explore a side of them neither had bothered to explore. It was truly a novel experience.

Hermione's choices tended to lean towards her sensible side. Earthy, natural fabrics in earth tones, nothing flashy. Even the jewelry she had selected was subdued. Copper, bronze, pewter, and polished wooden beads were adorned by simple polished stones. One pair of earrings looked like the tip of a peacock feather, and it ended up being her favorite. She abhorred standing out in a crowd. It wasn't that she was shy, it was that she had no desire to be looked upon and judged by her appearance. Her family, especially her mother, had always instilled a strong sense of self-worth that was based on her intelligence. Her mother had pointed out that beauty would abandon her long before her intellect.

Ginny on the other went in another direction. It wasn't t that the items she selected were flashy. They were just brighter and more vivid. While Hermione would have selected a dress in an olive green, Ginny would have definitely gone with kelly green. Ginny only wore silver jewelry. Yes, silver was Slytherin's color, but gold tended to clash with the colors she chose. But more importantly it just wasn't her.

When all was said and done, Hermione and Ginny did not look like they were the same two girls that had arrived in London five days earlier. They almost didn't recognize themselves.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On their last night in London, Aunt Candy came to check on them, like she did every night before they went to bed. Hermione and Ginny showed her their new purchases. When they were done, they discussed the plans for the trip to Ireland.

The girls were still in shock, amazed at all Aunt Candy had done for them, but the best was yet to come.

"You two girls need to run over to my room for just a moment for the last part of your surprise." The girls looked at each other, and then in a very unladylike manner raced each other to the connecting door that led to Aunt Candy's room.

Inside was a young man standing in front of a mirror, makeup covering the counter before him. Across the room was an older man with what looked to be the set of a small photo shoot. The girls turned and shot questioning glances at Hermione's aunt.

"What?" Candy asked. "If you two are going to be on your own for the rest of the month, you are going to need ID's. I know that as witches, getting a driver's license is not part of your traditions. But in the Muggle world, they are a must." The older woman smiled brightly.

The girls were in complete shock. Was this woman going to willingly do this for them?

"Damn, Hermione, your aunt is amazing! Do you think she would like to adopt me?" Ginny said under her breath.

"Just let Marc touch up your makeup, so that you look a little older for the picture, and then Jonathan will take your pictures and your ID's will be ready in the morning before you leave." Aunt Candy laughed quietly at the looks on the two girls' faces.

Within half an hour the girls had taken their pictures for their ID's. "What names would you girls like on these ID's? We can't very well be putting your real names on here now can we? Don't worry, we are using Candy's last name, I will take care of the addresses."

"Darcy Aideen," Hermione said. "After my grandmother and my mum."

"Fiona Molly, then after my mum and grandma too," Ginny said brightly.

"Thanks, ladies! I'll do the rest of it. You can pick up the cards at the front desk when you go out in the morning." Jonathan said brightly as he began disassembling the photo equipment.

"Thanks, Jonathan!" The girls said in unison. The girls turned toward Aunt Candy.

"Go on, girls, go pack your things." She put her arms out, and the girls ran over to her and hugged her tightly. "Tomorrow we leave for Ireland!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	3. When In Ireland

Chapter 3

When in Ireland

As they left The Ritz Hotel on Piccadilly around noon the next day, it began to drizzle. They were driven to the train station and from there the three women were off on a three hour train ride to Holyhead Station in North Wales. From there, they took the three hour "Ulysses" cruise ferry to the Dublin Ferryport. Upon arrival on Irish soil, they took a taxi into the Irish capitol, Dublin. At about 6 pm they arrived at their destination, The Westin Dublin Hotel.

The next day, Hermione and Ginny said goodbye to Aunt Candy, and took a taxi into Mullingar. The countryside was breath taking. The land was mostly flat, with rolling hills here and there. The lush green grass danced to the music of the leprechauns in a mild breeze. Ginny and Hermione could feel magic in the air around them, it practically sizzled!

Finally, after a little over an hour of driving, they reached Mullingar. The taxi continued on to the Annebrook Castle, where they would be staying. Aunt Candy had reserved the two bedroom, Dower House for the girls for the next month. When the girls reached the house, they were amazed by the beauty and simplicity within.

The first thing that struck Hermione as they entered the suite was the cheerful golden color of the walls, which were accented with simple white trim. She looked down and noticed the floors were solid oak, as was the furniture in all rooms, except the kitchen, which was grey slate. Upon reaching the kitchen, she was pleased with the cherry wood cabinets and dark green marble counter tops. All the appliances were of sleek stainless steel. Burgundy leather covered chairs were on either side of the plush sofa that faced a white marble fireplace. An oak coffee table sat before the fire on an Aubusson style carpet.

Ginny left the kitchen and wondered down the hall to explore the bedrooms and bathroom. The door to the right led to a bedroom. Crème colored walls were the backdrop to a palette of greens, tans, and dark mahogany furniture. The one large window in the room was accentuated by plain dark green curtains that were drawn to either side of the window, showcasing an extraordinary view of the Westmeath County countryside.

Below the window sat a plain queen size bed. The sheets and pillow cases were snow white, on top of which was a beige coverlet. A dark green throw, that matched the curtains, was folded and placed at the foot of the bed. A mahogany nightstand was placed on either side of the bed. Directly across from the bed, on either side of the door, were two large wardrobes, with space for hanging clothes at the top, and drawers on the bottom On the left side of the room was a large mahogany edged mirror that was two foot high and ran the length of the mahogany desk that was below it, complete with a comfy looking chair.

Ginny absolutely loved the room, and couldn't wait to see the other one. She closed the door and then turned and opened the door across the hall. She was met with a room exactly like the one she had just seen, except this one was accented by maroon. She fell in love with it at first sight.

She stepped back out of the room and yelled, "I call the maroon room!" She closed the door behind her and moved on to the room at the end of the hall. She suspected it was the bathroom.

Just as she was about to open the door, Hermione appeared at her side. "Well, open the door already!" Hermione exclaimed and Ginny did just that.

The bathroom colors were similar to those in the bedrooms, with the white and beige, but the accent color was a deep blue. The floors were done in beige marble. Mahogany wainscoting reached Ginny's hip and was met by the deep midnight blue paint that reached all the way to the ceiling.

Immediately to Hermione's right was a pedestal sink with chrome fixtures. Toilet was right next to it. Across from the toilet was a claw footed bathtub that looked big enough to hold Hagrid, and then some!

"Wow," Ginny breathed. "Aunt Candy went all out this time."

Hermione nodded in agreement. _It is all or nothing with her!_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After they unpacked, they called a taxi to take them into town. They drove around, until they saw and ancient looking pub. Unlike the rest of the town, it wasn't painted to look bright and cheery. The pub was made from rough cut gray stone; the front door looked old and heavy. Only a little light showed through the windows. The only decoration was the simply painted sign, announcing it as 'The Mill House'. It looked as though it had been there for hundreds of years.

The old stone building called to the girls. They stopped the taxi and paid the driver.

They walked up to the door and when Ginny opened it, they knew they had made the right decision. The color of the walls was uncertain due to the smoky and dark atmosphere. The floor was wooden with years upon years of wear and tear visible. The tables were simple, almost crude. The pub was almost filled. Eight of the 10 tables and all of the barstools were being occupied.

Ginny's eyes were drawn to the enormous fireplace. It was a bit chilly outside, but the fire made the temperature of the pub just right. She then noticed a peculiar old woman, wearing drab dingy colored clothes that looked to be ancient, at least two hundred. The crone was surrounded by a gaggle of children avidly listening to what she was saying. _I wonder what she is telling them._

Hermione's eyes roamed to the shelves upon shelves of liquor behind the bar. She could also see the taps on the bar itself. _Thank you Aunt Candy for our ID's! _Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her to one of the two empty tables. "I think I like this place!" Hermione said.

"I agree. We should come here every day for lunch, that way we can try everything on the menu." Ginny replied. Her eyes kept returning to the old lady. They looked over the menu and then decided to get the first two things on the menu. They both ordered a Guinness and the waitress asked for their ID's. Smiling, they pulled them from their purses and handed them to the middle aged waitress.

"You two can't be sister's can you?" the waitress asked after checking their birthdates, "you two don't look at all like sisters, Darcy and Fiona Riordan." She handed their ID's back to them, eyeing them suspiciously.

"No, we are cousins. Our family is originally from County Cork, but we were raised in England." Hermione said a little too quickly.

"We are staying at Annebrooke Castle, down by the water. What is your name, ma'am?" Ginny asked sweetly in an attempt to cover up Hermione's obvious nervousness.

"Moira O'Malley and I have lived in Mullingar my whole life and worked in this pub for the last 20 years." She said with a big smile. "If there is anything you wanna know about this area, just ask. If I don't know, I know someone who does." Hermione glanced at Ginny who cocked an eyebrow and shrugged. It was odd how Moira had offered to help them so readily. Perhaps people in this area were simple folk, friendly indeed.

Moira left them and quickly returned to bring them their drinks. Within twenty minutes they had a warm meal in front of them. It was absolutely delicious. They were definitely coming back tomorrow! They paid and left the pub, looking forward to their next visit.

Ginny and Hermione spent the rest of the day exploring options for places to visit over the entire county. They would visit Belvedere House, Fore Abbey, Tullynally Castle, and Locke's Distillery Museum, after enjoying a meal at the Mill House.

After their schedule was finalized, Ginny told Hermione about the lady by the fire. "Did you notice how entranced the children were by her tale? They did not even move. Those children were younger that the first years at Hogwarts, yet no a sound or a movement. Their parents had to practically pull them away from her."

Hermione didn't quite remember the woman. "Hmm. I don't think I even saw her. Do you think she will be there tomorrow?" she asked Ginny.

"Well, there is only one way to find out!" Ginny said with a grin. "In fact, I wonder if she is there right now." Her stomach rumbled. "I could sure use some supper."

They called for a cab and grabbed their coats.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Before they knew it, they were back in the pub. Once again, the pub was bustling and there was not a seat to be found. A few small children were seated near the fire, listening intently to the old woman Ginny had seen earlier.

"And the prince spent the rest of time in with the faeries, never to return to the human world again," the old woman said with a smile. Applause and smiles erupted from the children. "You know not all stories have a happy ending," she said sadly. The children started to settle back down into their seats.

Ginny looked around the pub, but it didn't look like any of the tables were going to be opening up anytime soon. She nudged Hermione and motioned towards the circle. As they sat down, the old woman began a new tale.

"Fand was a faery queen, who was once married to the sea god Manannan. One day, three warriors came to claim the Irish Sea for themselves. Unfortunately, Manannan was nowhere to be found. Fand's only hope in winning the battle was to send for the hero Cuchulainn. Even more unfortunate for her was that her hero would only come if she married him. Fand deeply loved her husband, but when faced with the loss of her kingdom, she reluctantly married Cuchulainn. When they met, she fell deeply in love with him and him with her. They warriors were subdued, and finally her husband came home."

The little boys 'Oohed' anticipating a bloody battle.

"Manannan knew that the relationship between the human world and the world of the faery could not continue without eventually destroying the faeries. He erased the memory of one from the other by drawing his magical mantle between the two lovers. With no memories of their love for one another, they went their separate ways, Fand to Manannan and Cuchulainn to another battle."

The children looked sadly at each other and then at the woman. A small girl with thick black hair and ice blue eyes, asked, "Not all Irish stories end like that do they? Isn't there supposed to be a happy ending with a wedding and stuff?"

"Of course not little one. Back before the Christians came to Ireland, there was a young man named Aengus. They said he was so beautiful that doves flew around his head, and their songs inspired love in the hearts of the maidens across the countryside," the old woman began.

"Oooh." Cooed the little girl. "That's more like it!" A few of the boys made disgusted faces, one even stuck his tongue out.

The storyteller smiled. "That's right, there has never been a more handsome man as Aengus to roam the hills of Ireland. One night he dreamed of a young woman. When he woke the next morning, he asked if anyone had seen the girl from his dream. No one had. He became ill for wanting her. His parents did everything they could to find her, but she was nowhere to be found. After almost a year of watching their son waste away, the maiden was found. But there was one problem. When Aengus went to claim her, there was a problem. He could sense her presence, but her form was changed. No longer was she a woman, but a swan. And she was no longer alone, but surrounded by over a hundred other swans. To claim his bride and be rid of the illness that had plagued him, he had to choose his love from the rest of the swans. If he failed and chose the wrong swan, her father would take her back to her home and Aengus would die without his love. Luckily, his love, Caer had a small mole on the left side of her face. When he went to choose his love, he noticed a swan with a small black mark near its bill. Instantly, his love appeared from the feathers of the swan, and Aengus was cured. He married the girl. They even had a son called Diarmuid. One night, Diarmuid met a girl who made a magic love spot appear on his forehead, and from then on no woman ever looked upon him without falling in love with him."

Applause from the children filled the air. The old woman rose from her chair by the fire, "That is enough for one night. My old bones need some rest." As she started for the door, she noticed the two older ones in her group. _Hmm. Interesting. Those faces look familiar._ She thought to herself.

As Hermione and Ginny rose to claim one of the newly vacated tables, Hermione couldn't help but think that the old woman had looked at her. Not only looked at her, but looked through her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The rest of the week preceded as planned.

After lunch on Friday, Aunt Candy called saying she had to go to France for a business meeting and wouldn't be able to meet them. Until the next weekend. Hermione hung up the phone and told Ginny the news.

When faced with a weekend, alone in Ireland, the vote was unanimous.

"We drink!" they decided. After all, they would only be in Ireland, without a care in the world for one month. They would do things they would never do again this summer. It was to be a summer to remember.

They went home to nap in preparation for the night of drinking that lay ahead. They woke up just before sunset and prepared for the coming night of intoxication. When they emerged from their rooms, they were dressed similarly. They both had on black dresses, form fitting, yet not particularly tight. Hermione's was sleeveless and reached her mid thigh. Ginny's baby doll dress had a deep V-neck.

They left the apartment midnight, and the taxi dropped them off at the first club they came to.

For five hours, they girls danced, like they hadn't a care in the world. They also drank like fish, but not beer. No, tonight they were drinking "Fine Irish Whiskey!" as the bartender had bellowed as he poured out the drinks. After 5 hours and numerous shots later, Hermione and Ginny left the club and staggered to The Mill House.

The girls stumbled into the pub, shoes in hand. The old woman in gray was seated at one of the tables, instead of the fire. Her gray eyes shot over to the sudden burst of cold air from outside. The heavy door to The Mill House was thrown open. Lightning lit up the sky behind them as sheet of rain fell from the heavens. When she saw the two girls stumble in and look around the room, her jaw dropped. Quickly recovering herself, she turned in her seat, away from the entrance.

Something had called the old woman to this pub weeks ago, forcing her to return each day. The same force that guided her Sight had pulled her here. Some people called her gift faerie magic. She didn't know. All she knew was that when the two _cailín_s (means girl in Celtic-Irish) had first entered the pub, an electric vibe had hit her like a door in the face.

_Could this be them? _The woman thought back to the prophecy that had once been part of her destiny and was now theirs.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_You have failed once again to divine the truth,_

_Now you shall forfeit-_

_Your magic and youth._

_Your boon companions have left this earth,_

_In exchange for your magic-_

_You must prove your worth._

_As the darkness falls the next three shall rise,_

_To you only two will come-_

_As the lightning strikes and fills the skies_

_And how you might ask, shall you know them?_

_As poets, they'll appear-_

_Both light and dark, the one's we condemn._

_Spin them a story, the one about you,_

_Spare them no detail-_

_Let them know what you now know is true._

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Liadan had been waiting twenty years, hoping the end would come in during her lifetime. She could not let them fail as the ones before them. This had to end. It was going to end. They were the last, their last hope. She had to give these girls their part of the past, their connection to their people, to help bring about peace in the magical world. _This is it_, she just needed to make sure. She turned and watched the girls a bit longer, while the darkness hid the anticipation in her eyes.

After groggily looking around the spinning room, Hermione spotted a cozy fire with a azure hued rug on the floor in front of it. Supporting each other, the girls staggered over to the welcoming embers and collapsed on the carpet, promptly falling asleep.

The old woman looked at them, and shook her head in silent amusement. She moved closer to the girls. Liadan could smell the alcohol on them, _definitely intoxicated. _Their hair color could be considered the light and dark, but Liadan could not trust that it would be that easy. After all it had been over 3000 years in the making. If these were the light and dark ones she had been waiting for, were they poets also?

She reached down and opened the purse carried by the dark one. Inside, she found to identification cards. Ciarra Riordan and Fiona Riordan. _Perfect!_ Darcy…_dark_. Fiona…_light._ Riordan… _royal bard_, aka _royal poet_. These two girls were the one's she had been waiting for!

She stepped back. She had to give them the information, tell the stories from the old world. Liadan, looked around the bar. The old barkeep, was nowhere in sight. She bent down and grabbed Ginny and Hermione's hands, and Apparated away.

Liadan arrived at her little gray stone cottage on the edge of town with a loud pop. She looked around at her cozy home and smiled, until she heard the sound of Hermione and Ginny retching onto her once spotless floor. She frowned. _I guess that is to be expected, considering,_ she thought with a shrug.

"_Scourgify_," she said in a mild tone, while pointing her wand at the mess. The vomit disappeared and her floor was spotless once again. The old woman turned to her crackling fire and glanced at the large pile of wood beside it.

"_Accio log," _and the log flew to her hand. She placed it in the middle of her sitting room, facing the warm fire. Pointing her wand in the direction of the log, Liadan transfigured the log into a large, fluffy bed. _I see I haven't lost my touch, _she chuckled to herself.

The witch then turned to the two young girls, passed out on her doorstep. "_Wingardrium Leviosa," _she murmured, and with a flick of her wrist, the intoxicated girls were gently placed in the bed. Liadan pulled the covers up over their bodies, and went to her own room to take a short nap. When the girls woke up, she was going to need the energy.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_It is very hot_, thought Hermione upon waking. Her eyes hadn't quite adjusted. The room was still spinning and distorted. Something stirred beside her, and she slowly opened her eyes to see a lump snoring loudly beside her. Ron is the only person I know that snores... _Oh my God! This can't be Ron, why am I in bed with Ron? This is a nightmare! _Wanting an immediate answer to her question she yanked back the covers.

A startled Ginny screamed at being suddenly awakened, and the cool rush of air, which in turn startled Hermione. Frightened screams echoed through the unfamiliar house.

"The young ones must be up," the woman said to no one in particular. She cringed at the sound of them screaming. She rolled carefully of the bed and walked into the sitting room. The dark one was standing on one side of the bed, while the light one stood at the opposite side.  
"Good morning girls." She announced quite pleasantly.

"Who are you?" Hermione asked, while trying to scan the room for her purse which held their wands.

Ginny squinted and looked more carefully at the crone. "You are the old woman from The Mill House. You sit by the fire and tell the children stories," she stated, feeling more and more at ease as every second passed.

"You, _light one, _are correct." Ginny's face scrunched up at the old name. "You look at me as though you don't understand. Your name, Fiona, means light one." As Liadan said this, she pulled out her wand and transfigured the bed into a small hand sized mirror. "Look in the mirror, it shows the truth in my words. Your skin and your hair are as light as your name."

She glanced at Hermione. "And you Darcy, your hair as dark as night, and your skin is not fair. You are the opposite of your companion. You two will need to learn the meaning of names. There is magic in them, you must learn for yourselves."

"My name is Liadan, which means_ gray lady, _and I am part of a centuries old sisterhood of witches, whose sole duty it is to restore peace and balance in our world." She smiled broadly, her teeth shinning white. "It has been passed down from sister to sister, from generation to generation, that a dark time would come to our world, if this rift was not healed. Our world would be filled with fear and hatred and violence. The only way out is if the lessons of the past are actually learned." The old woman's eyes filled with sadness as she began reciting the prophecy that had been passed on the worst night of her life.

_And how you might ask, shall you know them?_

_As poets, they'll appear-_

_Both light and dark, the one's we condemn._

_Spin them a story, the one about you,_

_Spare them no detail-_

_Let them know what you now know is true._

Hermione and Ginny waited for her to explain herself. After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, Hermione fairly screeched, "Well, what does it mean? What is this story? Who are those people…"

Ginny interjected, "What the bloody hell is going on? Well? Tell us already!!! Please."

The older woman almost laughed aloud, she was surprised the dark one had waited so long to ask questions. Throughout the tale, Liadan could sense the girls bursting with unanswered questions. "Do you girls not know where you come from?"

Both Ginny and Hermione shook their heads. "Well, it seems I must enlighten you. It all started…"

"Excuse me, Liadan. But could you get me something to write on and a pen maybe. I don't want to forget anything.

Liadan only smiled. She took a log and transfigured it into a small table. Two more logs became chairs. Liadan summoned the mirror from Ginny's hand and created a notebook for Hermione to write in. A flower pot with a rose soon joined the collection of new items, becoming a red quill and a pot of black ink.

Hermione smirked at the woman's cleverness as she and Ginny sat. The flower pot to a quill and ink was just genius. The girls looked avidly at the woman.

"Well, first of all, I suppose I should apologize. I used Legimens to sift through your memories of last night. Only last night. I had to make sure it was you, that you were the poets from the prophecy. While you two were at that club last night, the song you sang, is called the Poet's Rhyme. It has an interesting history. No one but poets know the actual song, and only when in Irish pubs do they know the actual words, in the

Gaelic of course.."

"We never sang such a song. I am smart, but I am pretty sure I never sang a song in another language." Hermione said matter of factly.

Liadan grinned at the girl and cocked her head slightly to the right. "Skeptical are you? Would you like proof?"

Hermione shook her head as she watched the woman walk to a cabinet. She pulled out a pensieve and set it on the table. "I am going to put my memories of last night into this pensieve so you see for yourself." A silvery strand made its way to the bowl and Hermione and Ginny couldn't help but be ancy about seeing how they had looked. "Go ahead, look."

Hermione went first.

_She saw the club the night before. Lively music filled the darkened room. She watched Ginny and herself take the first three shots of whiskey and then enter the dance floor._ Hermione inched closer to herself from the night before. _As the girls danced unintelligible words flowed from their lips in unison. At the end of their song, a loud sound went up in the bar. _Hermione looked toward the bar. _Cian had just shouted that drinks were on the house. _

The rest of the night was unimportant. She went back to the room at Liadan's house. While Ginny had her peek, Hermione scribbled furiously in the little notebook until Ginny surfaced from the pensieve.

"Do you believe me now?" Liadan asked. The girls nodded. "Okay, on with this story. When Athirne was still in his mother's womb, his mother was thirsty, but was refused, even if she died of thirst, for the barrels were for the king. Athirne sang a song while in her belly that caused the barrels to explode and his mother had drink. If a poet sings that rhyme in the correct form, the drink will flow from the bar. Cian is tight fisted. In all the years that I have lived here in Mullingar, never has Cian called for an open bar. That was when I knew you were the ones I had waited for."

"Okay, so we have established that one way or another we are poets," Ginny started. "What does that have to do with this prophecy thingy?"

"Well, that is where things start to get complicated. The fact that you two are poets, is simply a way to identify you as the last ones to try to fix this rift between the Magical and Muggle world." When the girls looked confused, she decided to start from the beginning. "You realize how magic originally came to mortals, right?" Liadan asked and the girls nodded. "When an immortal took a human as a mate there was a possibility of their magic being passed on. If it was they became a witch or wizard, if not squibs. Although a squib's magic is not expressed, it doesn't mean it is not present. It can be several generations before a child is born with

magical abilities. That is how muggleborn's come into their magic. It isn't that they are a genetic anomaly, it is just that the gene has yet to express itself."

As she looked into the flames dancing in the hearth, Liadan began the tale of how everything had come to be. "This all began over 3000 years ago, when the immortals walked and lived amongst the mortals. Three sisters, the Morrigna as the were called, were the feminine war goddesses who watched over battle. They embraced and embodied the three stages of womanhood: the maiden, the mother, and the crone; as well as influencing the three aspects of war: the warrior, the army, and the outcome." She looked at Ginny.

"You, Fiona, are filled with the spirit of Morrigan. Like a maiden, you yearn for your lover. Like her, you know your heart and what you want. It doesn't waver. You will do anything and everything to get him. It isn't for status or money, or any other petty reason. You love him and you know he loves you. And like a warrior, you will fight to the death for him. But beware, you hold his fate in your hands." All of the color drained from Ginny's face. Liadan noticed but continued. "Morrigan fell in love with the famous warrior Cuchulainn, and he with her. No matter how she pursued him, he denied her. No matter what she offered him for his love, he denied her. Like you, I fell in love with a man who denied me. Like so many young men before him he didn't live long enough to regret his choice." A tear slid down her wrinkled cheek. "I watched him die and there was nothing I could do."

Ginny's eyes darted to the door and her body tensed to run from the house and straight to Harry. Liadan sensed it and shook her head. "I know what you are thinking, Fionna, and it will do you no good. You can't run to him and tell him what you know. The curse won't let you. You have to find another way."

Liadan noticed the scratching from the dark-haired girl's quill had ceased. She was now looking like she trying to find a loophole. "It won't work." Hermione jerked when she realized Liadan was talking to her.

"What won't work?" she asked innocently.

"Whatever you are thinking. Even if you wanted to, you can't tell him who you are or what will happen if he refuses you. Your mouth will form the words, but no sound will come. Your hand will shake if you try to write and scribbles are all that will come forth."

Hermione frowned and decided to make a note of that. Liadan smiled. "You, Darcy Aideen, are a clever one. Your spirit is that of Macha. She was earthy and grounded, her one great passion was running. She was the fastest thing in Ireland. Her lover was not famous like her sisters'. Crunnchu was a widower with grown children. He lived alone in the hills of Ulster. One day, a beautiful young woman, Macha, appeared at his home. She loved him and he her. In the years they were together, his holdings increased sevenfold. Soon she was with child. That spring, he went to the king's festival in Ulster. She could not go with him as she was close to delivering. She begged him not to mention her to anyone. He promised, but as men often do, he broke his promise."

"Deep into his cups, he bragged that his wife could out run the king's horses that were to run later that day. The king, outraged that anyone would make such a boast, arrested Crunnchu and sent his men for his wife with the threat that if she didn't race and win, Crunnchu would be put to death. When the woman arrived at the king's arena, everyone was shocked. This woman, who was supposedly faster than the king's horses, was heavily pregnant. She begged the king and those who looked on for mercy, to wait long enough for her child to be born. No one pitied her. With no other choice, she raced the horses and won. On the finish line, before the horses even reached her, she delivered twins. A boy and a girl. She cursed the men of Ulster, every single one that had looked on and shown her no pity in her time of need. For nine generations, whenever they were in need, they would feel the pain of Macha as she had labored there on the finish line."

Liadan finally took her eyes from the fire. She watched Hermione scribble in her notebook, almost sure she saw smoke from the tip of the quill. Ginny looked at Liadan inquisitively. Liadan jerked her head straight and quickly wiped her tear away. "Every generation three witches are born who have the chance to fix the rift created by their ancestors. I was one of the three from my generation." Another tear fell from her eye. "Tangi was betrayed by her lover Carrick. He got her pregnant and her brothers found out. His betrayal lead to his death, her brothers made her watch them beat him to death and she threw herself from a cliff into the sea. Darina was in a similar situation after Ruari had lain with her. She had been promised marriage and ha married another the next day. She soon found out she was with child. Forced to flee with no shelter, she died giving birth to their son, who died also. Her pain was so great, she became a _bean sídhe, _what you girls would call a banshee. More specifically a _bean nighe_ since she died in childbirth. She mourns the death of her child and her lover and many others, and so she will remain until the day comes when she would have died, had she not died with her child."

As she said those last few words, she finally had the strength to look at Hermione and Ginny. Both girls had tears streaking their faces. Hermione had even stopped writing when the tears began to smudge her words. Wiping away some tears, Hermione reflected on the sad lives of these three women. _How terrible. Three lives ruined because of men. Three destinies…_"Wait, you talked of three women. There are only two of us here. Where is the third?"

Liadan looked surprised for a moment. "I don't know. I was only supposed to find you two. Darina's spirit was that of Badb, the crone aspect. She embodied those left behind by the slain. She foretells the outcome of battles. After she was set aside by Énna Airgdech, the High King of Ireland, for not giving him an heir, she withdrew from her sisters and became known as the Washer at the Ford, washing the bloodied clothes of those about to die.

The old woman looked as if she had aged ten years. A shrill cry pierced the silence, a horrible heart wrenching sound. Liadan shuddered as one last tear fell from her eye. "Darina has finally found her peace. Her time is up. I only have a short time left myself. After that, it is up to you two and the other one. The three of you have to make it work. If one of you fails, if the past repeats itself, this darkness and violence will continue, and the end of the world that Badb predicted will come sooner rather than later. Who knows how much longer she can keep the pain inside her before it boils over." Her eyes closed and it looked like she had fallen asleep.

They girls looked from one another to the old woman and back. There wasn't much they could do, so they headed towards the door. As Hermione reached for the handle, she turned around and faced Liadan for the last time and whispered. "Thanks for telling us what you did." She reached out and turned the knob. Hermione and Ginny were greeted by a warm bright sun.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	4. The Search Begins

Chapter 4

The Search Begins

With a pair of splitting headaches, and what Ginny described as "a bloody hangover from hell!", the girls decided a clear mind was needed if any riddles were to be solved. So home to the Dower House they went. After hot showers, they crawled into bed.

In the wee hours of Sunday morning, the girls woke up. A large pot of coffee was in order, strong black coffee. Tea was just not going to cut it. Ginny pulled two coffee cups out of the cabinet and began skimming over the notes Hermione had taken the night before, while Hermione started the coffee.

After finishing the first cup in silent brooding, Ginny finally broke the silence. "Well, 'Mione, what are we going to do? It seems the fate of the wizarding world is upon our shoulders. How are we going to fix this? I mean it is bad enough Harry has to deal with this whole Voldy issue. Now we have one of our own, I mean…"

"Please Ginny stop babbling. I know you are worried, but I have a plan of action." Hermione refilled her cup. "We have to figure out the five "W's": Who, What, When, Where, and How. Write that down."

"Um, Hermione, you are aware that 'how' does not start with a 'W', right?" Ginny asked as she began writing.

Her best friend scowled. "I know that, but it has a 'W' in it. How do think 'four W's and an H' sounds?"

"Lame." Ginny replied. "So where do we start?"

"First we need to determine who all is involved." She paused. "Write that down."

Ginny quirked an eyebrow.

"We can safely say we know half. Me, you, and Harry." Ginny blushed. "You can't go around denying it. Everyone knows how it is between the two of you. You like him and he is trying to protect you from becoming a target. It's common knowledge." She took a sip. "That leaves us with one more girl and two boys. Write that down."

Ginny looked down at the table. "What about Ron?"

"What about him?"

"What if he is your other half?"

"I hadn't considered it, yet. I have been doing my best to keep him off of my mind, but I suppose we will have to keep that in mind. Maybe we can find out about the trios that came before us and see if we can find a common trend." Hermione sighed.

"I'll write that down!" The redhead said sarcastically.

"Go ahead. I just have a gut feeling it isn't him. I can't explain why, I just don't think he is the one."

"Alright Boss Lady, got it. What else do have in this Master Plan of yours?"

"The 'What' of course! We need to know what we must do to succeed. We have to figure out what might happen if we succeed and if we fail. We have to be prepared for all of the possibilities. Write that down." Hermione began to pace.

"What next?"

"When. We have to set a time frame. From the way Liadan was talking, the clock has already started. We just have to figure out when the deadline is. We also need to know 'Where'. It sounds as though there will be a judgment of our actions and possible a battle of some kind. We need all the warning we can get. Write…"

"…that down! I got the concept two 'W's ago!" Ginny said laughing as she scribbled. "Okay. Got it. Figure out time frame." Ginny wrote some more, talking under her breath. She mused thoughtfully for a moment. "Now what?"

Hermione turned and looked at Ginny. "I know we are best friends Ginny, but we don't always tell each other _everything_."

"Okay…What is your point exactly?" Ginny asked confused as to how this was related.

Hermione sat down. "We don't know exactly what we are looking for. We have to be aware of anything and everything. Sometimes we don't see what others can see, like you didn't think anyone knew about the 'you and Harry' situation. We need to be able to share any interaction with each other and whoever the third girl is, no matter how personal or private it might be. I know neither of us are used to that, but we have to."

Ginny looked at Hermione then grabbed her hand and shook it. "Deal. No matter how personal or private."

"Alright, what is next?" Hermione asked out loud.

"Breakfast!" Ginny said, a bit louder that she had intended. "What, I am a Weasley after all."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Dressing as quickly as possible, the girls called a taxi. Their favorite taxi driver Rory came to get them. "Where to _m' cailins_?"

"Ooh, breakfast. Anywhere that serves breakfast. I need food!" Ginny said. "I am starving!"

Rory drove the girls into town, to his cousin Caitlin's bakery. "She makes the best scones in the world, and if I sweet talk her, she may even fry up some bacon and sausage just for you."

"Please?!" Ginny put her hand together in front of her as if she were begging. "Pretty please? With sugar on top?"

His cousin Caitlin was a genius with a scone. Add in some crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, and some Irish breakfast tea, and the girls were ready to make her the 'All Mighty Breakfast Goddess Divine'.

After thanking the Goddess Divine for breakfast, the girls asked Rory to take them to the oldest and biggest library he knew of. Twenty minutes of driving later, they arrived at a library that was three times the size of the Gryffindor Tower at Hogwarts. When Ginny looked at Hermione's face, she could have sworn there were tears in the bookworm's eyes. They quickly walked in and asked the librarian where the section on Irish folklore was. The old, white haired woman pointed them in the right direction, and the girls were off.

As big as the library was, and considering where it was, it was a huge surprise for Hermione to find the catalog was set up on a computer.

"Score!" She fairly shouted as she rushed to the desktop. "Please be fast, please be fast, please be fast."

Within moments of turning it on, the search screen popped up.

"Yes! Now all we have to do is type in key words and a list of books with probable reference will be printed. Thank Merlin we don't have to search this entire library. It could take forever. Alright Ginny, I need you to tell me the keywords."

Ginny pulled out the notebook. "Alright we have 'Morrigan', 'Macha', 'Badb', and 'The Morrigna' to start with."

Hermione typed out the names and then slumped her shoulders. "Damn, 46 books. That is going to take most of today. Crap. Well we might as well start."

Eight hours, six aspirin, three coffee breaks, and one meal later, the girls left the library, a wee bit disappointed to say the least. Hermione couldn't believe their not so hot luck.

"This is awful Ginny. We haven't really gotten anywhere. All those books seem to just repeat the things Liadan had to say. Nothing really new…just bits and pieces."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Upon returning to the Dower House, they flopped onto the couch, frustrated.

"Okay, I guess the best we can do is try to organize what little we have to show for a full day in that library. See if we can find some kind of pattern or something." Hermione dejectedly pulled out the pieces of paper she had gotten from the librarian, and Ginny opened the notebook which was already starting to show signs of wear. "Ginny please go to the page where the information on Macha begins and read me what we have on her so far."

As Ginny begain to recount the tale, Hermione shuffled through the papers. "…and in her agony, Macha cursed Ulster. That is all. What do you have?"

"Her symbol is the horse. She had a neck brooch that she used to create her fortress, sometime after that race. Those who fail to help her in her greatest time of need will be weak in their time of need. Got that?" Hermione asked.

"Got it. What about Morrigan?" asked Ginny as she finished up her list.

"Alright, we have. She could have prevented her lover's death. Was denied three times. Animal is a heifer. Ooh, sorry Ginny. Don't mean that in a bad way." Hermione winced a bit.

"Don't sweat it, I like milk as much as the next person!" Ginny smiled, as she recorded the next bit of info.

Hermione continued. "Her lover could heal her. That is nice, at least. Oh, and she turned a mortal into a pool of water. Wonder if that could be relevant. Dunno. Now on to our other part." She sighed. "Badb. Animal: the crow, symbols: staff, bloodstone, apples. If she lets her cauldron boil over, it could show the end of the world. Oohh. That could be bad. Also, should she not be allowed to get pregnant, or left behind, especially do not let her die. All three of us are identified by the Tower tarot card."

"Okay, well. I guess that is all we have for now." Ginny put the notebook down. "What should we do now?"

"Well, there is nothing else we can do. We just have to find out more about who this third person is, and the time frame we have to work with." Hermione looked dejected. "We have almost nothing to go on. How is that even possible?"

Ginny perked up, a smirk beginning to appear. "I know what we could do…"

"What are you thinking? That look doesn't bode well…" Hermione cringed slightly.

"Something no one would expect from Hermione Granger. Something exciting."

Hermione looked slightly pained. "Please don't tell me its…"

"A tattoo! We can get tattoos!" Ginny said; a big smile on her face.

"Have you lost your mind?" Hermione waved a hand in front of her friend's face, trying to get her attention. "Hello, who are you, and what have you done to my best friend, you know, the girl who knows I am scared to death of needles?"

Ginny smiled and pushed Hermione's hand out of the way. "I just want to get a small reminder of our time here in Ireland. Come on Hermione, we promised to do things we would never do at home. It will be fun!"

"I don't know, Ginny. I don't think I can do that." Hermione said biting her bottom lip.

*~*~*~*~*~*

After a few hours of pleading, Ginny finally talked Hermione into getting a tattoo. They called Rory to come get them and asked him to take them somewhere they could get tattoos.

"I know just the place." Rory said with a lopsided smile. He rolled up his left sleeve and showed the girls an elaborate cross on his forearm. "I'll take you to Melaghlin. He and his ancestors have been doing tattoos for six or seven generations, they are probably the best in all of Ireland!"

With that, Rory sped away in his little cab towards their destination.

After less than twenty minutes, they arrived at Melaghlin's. The girl's were in shock. Instead of a rundown place, they arrived at what looked to be a mansion. "

Are you sure we are at the right place?" Ginny said skeptically.

"Of course we are. The Melaghlin's were once one of the ancient royal families in Ireland. They still live in their family home after over five hundred years." Rory walked up the wide steps and stopped at the wide, heavy oak doors. He raised his hand, grabbed the brass knocker, and knocked on the door.

A short, stocky white haired man came to the door. He looked like a beardless Santa Clause. His wrinkled face was flushed, and his blue eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Rory, is that you? I haven't seen you in months. Are you here for a new tattoo?"

"Nope, the claddagh wreath you put on my forearm in April is enough for now." Rory rolled up his right sleeve and showed the girls the tattoo of the two hands holding a heart, with a crown on top, on his arm.

The old man spotted the girls behind Rory. "Oh, I see. You have brought me two new customers! Come, ladies, come in."

Melaghlin smiled graciously and opened the doors wide to grant passage into his home. The house was amazing. Scattered about the house were antiques of all kinds, old sturdy furniture, shimmering crystal, delicate porcelain, colorful tapestries and rugs, and amazingly not a speck of dust or decay.

Looking around the room full of history, a thought crossed Hermione's mind as she followed her host though the house. "You don't do this the old fashion way, do you?"

The old man shook with laughter. "Of course not, my dear. I have a room in the back, all sterile and clean. Don't you worry about that, we haven't lost a customer in two hundred years!"

Ginny picked up on his joke and laughed out loud. She watched the man open the door to his work area. It was white and spotless. All of his tools were wrapped in plastic. Along one wall was a collage of what looked to be every tattoo he had ever designed. There must have been hundreds.

"Girls, just pick whatever you like and then we'll go from there." Melaghlin and Rory sat down at the other end of the room to talk, as Hermione and Ginny searched the wall for an image that called to them.

After about ten minutes, Hermione had decided on the one that she liked. She pointed it out to Ginny. It looked like a cursive 'M' with and extra hump that was crooked. Ginny pointed out the one that she like the best. It was near Hermione's and looked like a horizontal '69'. Melaghlin walked up behind them as they chatted.

"So, Darcy and Fiona, have we made a decision?" The girls didn't respond, because they still weren't quite used to their fake names. The old man, assuming the girls were too into their conversation to hear him, tapped them on the shoulder and repeated his question.

Hermione pointed out the one she had chosen. "Ah, Darcy, interesting choice. Do you know what it means?" When Hermione shook her head, he decided to enlighten her. "That is the symbol for Virgo, the Virgin, one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. When is your birthday?" He asked.

"September 19th." Hermione replied.

"Just as I thought. Your birthday falls under Virgo, whose motto is 'I serve.' It is also the symbol associated with one of our goddesses, Macha. Have you heard her tale?" Melaghlin asked.

"I know far more about that tale than I ever wanted to." She replied.

Confused, but deciding not to push, the man asked another question. "Have you picked out where you want your tattoo?" Hermione blushed at his question.

"Well, I don't want it where everyone can see it, so I want to get it here." She turned even redder when she pointed to her right hip, just below the band of her shorts.

"Interesting choice. She rules over the abdomen, so that is the perfect tattoo and place for it."

He turned to Ginny. He had a hunch. "Tell me your birthday, and then let me guess."

"July 16th." Ginny replied.

"Cancer, the Crab. That symbol there." He pointed to the one Ginny had picked out. "Around your bellybutton. Am I right?" He asked with a smirk.

Ginny looked amazed. "Correct. Let me guess, Cancer rules the stomach?

"Yep, and its motto is 'I want.' and is associated with the goddess Morrigan. Now all I need to know is who is going first." He looked from one girl to the other.

"I am going first, because if I have to watch, I might chicken out." Hermione said as she paled slightly.

While Melaghlin was working on Hermione, Ginny ventured a question. Do you know of the goddess Badb?"

The old man paused for a moment, and Hermione stopped focusing on the needle. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Ginny replied innocently. "What sign would she be associated with?"

Melaghlin paused again. "Aquarius, I think. Motto: 'I know.' Because she did. Badb knew. She controls when the end of time comes. If her cauldron ever boils over, the end of time is at hand. It would turn the earth into a wasteland. I mean if you believe in that kind of thing."

*~*~*~*~*~*


	5. Odd Introductions

Chapter 5

Odd Introductions

By the next week, their tattoos no longer hurt so badly. Hermione still couldn't believe she had let Ginny talk her into it. The girls spent the next month going all over the Emerald Isle, searching for something. Anything that would lead them to an answer to this enigmatic puzzle. Nothing. They found nothing.

On August 15th, Rory loaded their bags into his cab and drove the girls to Dublin to meet Aunt Candy. From Dublin, they took the ferry back to Holyhead, and then back into London. Knowing how much her niece hated flying, they took the Chunnel to France, finally arriving in Paris. The three of them spent the next three days shopping in Paris.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On Friday morning, Ginny woke up with a start. "Crap! I can't believe I haven't thought about them." She ran over to Hermione's bed and shook the sleepy brunette. "Hermione, Wake up."

"Hmm. Wha..? Where? Ginny?" Hermione rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock. _4:30am._ "What do you want?"

Ginny was pacing the floor. "We are going back to London tomorrow and I just remembered I haven't even thought to look for anything for my family. I can't believe I forgot to find anything for them. What are we going to do today? Do we have plans? Oh, man, I can't believe I forgot. I mean, I know I don't have to get them anything, but…"

"Ginny! Shut up and stop pacing." Hermione said sharply. _She has got to stop that rambling/pacing habit. She is killing me. _The older girl sat up in bed. "Alright. I have an idea. Aunt Candy told me about this huge flea market that is just outside of town…"

"Fleas? Fleas! I can't bring fleas home to my family!!!" Ginny screeched. "You can't be serious Hermione!"

_Lost in translation. _"I don't mean a place to buy fleas, but an area that has stalls, where vendors sell whatever it is that they have. There is a lot of variety there, and I am sure we can find something for everyone." Hermione explained.

"Okay, but I am not bringing any fleas home!" Ginny said skeptically.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A little while later, after the sun had risen, the girls arrived at the flea market. After seeing the location in person, Ginny was relieved to say the least. Even in the early morning hours, the area bused with the sounds of people buying and selling their wares. Women haggled over the prices of their goods, while the men hung back, smoking their cigars and holding their wives' latest purchases. To Hermione it was like Diagon Alley, without the stores, crowded and loud. _But exciting! _

The girls decided to divide and conquer the vast space, because even power shopping through every other stall, would take the girls all day, and they only had three hours before meeting Aunt Candy for breakfast at nine. They decided on each of them choosing a gift for every member of the Weasley clan – minus Ron. After two and a half hours, they would meet back so they could return to the hotel.

Hermione wandered the stalls, searching for the perfect gifts for her favorite second family.

After an hour and a half of intense searching, she had found gifts for everyone. For Fred and George she found box of books of muggle science experiments, in a bookselling stall, that would give the mischievous twins some fresh ideas for their joke shop. When Hermione passes a stall selling shadow boxes, she knew that a few of them would be great for displaying Percy's seemingly unending collection of awards. She found a collection of dragon figurines for Charlie, whom she was certain would know they weren't of real dragons, but would appreciate them anyway. Bill got the Rosetta Stone program, since he was still struggling to master French, which was important, considering his future wife, Fleur was French. Mr. Weasley was way too easy. Hermione found him a box of muggle home appliances that she was sure would keep him busy for months trying to determine how each of them worked.

With only 30 minutes left before having to meet back with Ginny, Hermione still had one Weasley left to shop for. Mrs. Weasley. _I have to find something for Mrs. Weasley, but what? What kind of gift would she like?_

As these thoughts raced through her head, something glimmered in a stall to her right. She turned to find the item that caught her eye. The stall was different from the others she had visited previously. Instead of only selling one kind of item, like kitchen wares, jewelry, or old baseball cards, this one was a jumble of everything: old, new; shiny, dirty; if you could imagine it, it was probably in that tent. The item that caught Hermione's eye, however was a necklace made of light blue stones in the shape of five, six pointed flowers, displayed on a pile of black satin. As Hermione got closer, she noticed the matching earrings and bracelet.

_I am sure Mrs. Weasley will love these. _Hermione picked up the jewelry and turned to look for the owner of the stall. In the back right corner of the stall, sitting in a papazan chair was a middle aged woman with long brown hair. Her chocolate brown eyes looked tired and sad. "How much for the necklace, earrings, and bracelet set?"

"Two quid." The woman whispered so quietly that Hermione almost didn't hear it. She pulled the notes from her pocket and handed them to the lady, happily.

"Thank you," she said with a broad smile, hoping it would put a smile on the woman's face. It didn't. She responded with a simple, 'you're welcome.'

As Hermione turned to exit the tent, she accidentally kicked something, something hard. "Damn it!" she squealed as she bent down to rub her injured big toe. _I have got to be more careful, or I will end up back at Hogwarts covered in black and blue! _

Hermione put her hand on what looked like a lace covered coffee table her Aunt Belle had, to balance herself as she stood. When she shifted her weight onto the table, the lace slipped and she landed for the second time on the dirty floor of the stall. _Come on, what is wrong with me, I…_

The lace had concealed what looked like an ancient traveling trunk, probably the oldest Hermione had ever seen. _This is beautiful! Just look at the brass hinges and lock. A key? _

In the trunk's lock was a key with an intricate design. HM. Hermione couldn't even resist the urge. _Just a peak. _She twisted the key and the lid rose without so much as a creak. _Odd._

There were dresses, shoes, stockings, gloves, pictures, diaries, and all sorts of other mementos. The deeper Hermione dug the older the items seemed to get. _I wonder how all this stuff got in this one trunk. _She quietly closed the lid and turned in the direction of the owner and asked, "How much for the old trunk?" trying not to sound too excited over her find.

The woman walked up to the front of the stall and made a face. "That old thing? How does five pounds sound?"

_Five pounds?!!! I can't believe she only wants five pounds! Don't sound too excited Hermione, don't sound too excited… "_I'll take it as well."

She pulled the box out of the tent to where she had left her other purchases. She looked at the trunk. _I have no idea what I was thinking! How am I going to get all this back and meet Ginny in…, _she paused, looking down at her watch. _Twenty minutes! Crap. It is at least a brisk fifteen minute walk to where they had decided to meet. _

She started to cram her gifts into the already full trunk, amazed that everything had fit. _Oh, damn! How am I going to maneuver this huge thing? It has to weight twice as much as I do. I mean it was hard enough to get it two_ _feet from the edge of the stall. _

Hermione started to look around for a piece of cardboard or wood so she could put it under her trunk and slide it. She remembered the cardboard box that Fred and George's books had come in. Quickly, she opened the lid and emptied the contents none too gently back into the trunk and closed the lid back.

She broke the box down and was about to try to lift one side so she could slip the cardboard underneath, when she noticed there were small wooden wheels on one end. _Hmm. I didn't see those earlier. Oh, well I have to hurry if I am going to meet Ginny._

With only 30 seconds to spare Hermione saw Ginny, loaded down with bags, looking worriedly for her friend. "I made it!" Hermione gasped. "Just in time!"

"Barely. Come on, we have to hurry if we are going to meet Aunt Candy for breakfast."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the hotel's restaurant, Aunt Candy divulged the plan for their last night in Paris. Aunt Candy had decided to celebrate Ginny's sixteenth birthday late and Hermione's seventeenth birthday early. She decided on one of the most exclusive restaurants in Paris. Of course, new outfits were in order. She couldn't resist spoiling the girls, as she had no children of her own. _She was just borrowing_, as she so often reminded them. After breakfast, the three women went shopping to choose a special outfit for the occasion. It was after all their last night in Paris.

_La Jardin Belle, Paris, France, 9:00 pm_

Hermione wore an ebony dress that wrapped around her slim body, hugging all her curves in just the right places, starting at her right shoulder and barely covering her ample chest. It came across to her left hip, leaving her back completely bare, and joined the rest of the dress at her right hip, and then fell to the floor. She wore no jewelry, except a simple silver bracelet on her right wrist; she needed nothing else.

Ginny's midnight blue gown was just as stunning. Although it was fairly modest, falling just below her knees, like a gypsy- style scarf skirt. Its deep V-neck was anything but modest, and showed off her creamy white flesh. The dress was paired with strappy stiletto heels. She wore only a strand of pearls around her neck.

Aunt Candy was proud of 'her girls', as she now called them. They had started the summer as two obviously young teenage girls, and now they looked like mature young women. As they approached the restaurant, the doors were held open for her as she walked through the doors in a floor length champagne colored dress, with a scooped neckline and a matching scarf. Her hair was in an intricate twist. She looked matronly, yet vibrant.

The three were led past a wooden dance floor were colorfully dressed ladies, and black clad men twirled around the floor. They were seated on the edge of the floor where they could see everyone around them, and be seen in return. A _matri'de _showed up and Aunt Candy ordered. While they waited on their food, the girls told the older woman about their stay in Ireland, leaving out the part about the tattoos, and Liadan of course. Soon their food arrived and they enjoyed their supper.

When they finished, a handsome looking man came to the table and introduced himself as Stephen Montevale, as well as the two young men who stood beside him. One was dark, with raven black hair closely cropped with ice blue eyes, named Rafael Montevale. His twin, Jared, looked nothing like him; his pale skin was paired with sandy brown hair and emerald eyes. Soon the three women were being led to the dance floor by the three Montevale men.

Within thirty seconds, Ginny felt as though she were on cloud nine. Never in her life had anyone paid this much attention to her, and now here was Jared Montevale, heir to the Montevale Architecture Company complimenting her on everything, from her eyes to her grace on the dance floor. All her life, she had been teased by her peers for her family's lack of status. Now all she could do was smile. _This summer kicks ass! Remind me to send Aunt Candy a thank you owl!_

Hermione on the other hand was not having the same luck with Rafael. Unlike his brother who believed he was blessed to be dancing with Ginny, Rafael thought Hermione should be pleased to be dancing with him and even had the nerve to say so! _What a conceited pig!_ She was about to leave him on the dance floor, when he stopped dancing. He turned around, and Hermione got a glimpse of white blonde hair. Rafael excused himself and moved away from Hermione, who watched him go. She turned back to where Rafael had been only seconds before and came face to face with 6'1" of pure ma…_Malfoy_!

"Ma..?!" she gasped in shock, stopping herself before she made a mistake. She couldn't believe it was Draco 'Bloody' Malfoy standing in front of her.

Malfoy's piercing ice gray eyes looked at her, an almost handsome grin on his face. "I'm sorry, have we met before? I am sure that I would remember a beauty like you." He said smoothly, the infamous Malfoy smirk falling into place.

_He doesn't know who I am. Oh My God! Well….I am going to enjoy seeing his face when we get back to school and he realizes…_Hermione thought evilly.

_I have got to play this off smoothly or he will know it is me. _Hermione decided to make her voice a bit deeper and huskier, so he would be less likely to recognize it. "No, of course we have never met. You startled me is all. My aunt, Candice Riordan, invited my friend and I here to celebrate our return to school in September. I only know of you. My aunt mentioned your family in passing." she blurted quickly, curious as to his reply. "By the way, my name is Darcy.

Malfoy moved close to her body, slid his arm around her waist, and placed her small hand in his larger one. "Well, Darcy my dear, I am Draco Malfoy." They began to dance. Hermione was shocked. Malfoy didn't say another word. For the next hour, they danced, not taking their eyes from one another. _This is so weird; he should be calling me a filthy mudblood, not dancing with me. _

Malfoy couldn't believe his good fortune. He had found her. For the last week, he had seen this girl in his dreams. He had lusted after her from the first night. Pictures of her filled his head; as well as his every waking moment. Food and drink had ceased to be important to him. No activity had been able to satisfy him. He had spent hours racing around on his broom, flying too fast and being reckless. It hadn't helped. He had become listless. If it hadn't been for his mother's potions, he would probably be on death's doorstep for lack of nourishment. He almost hadn't come with them tonight even though his was his favorite restaurant. He had to have her. He couldn't wait anymore. He didn't like anyone having that kind of control over him.

When the dance ended, he walked Hermione back to her table and asked what she wanted from the bar. When she told him, he was even more shocked. _She even likes the same drink as I do, vodka sours._ He walked over to the bar, pondering his good fortune, and asked for two of his usual.

Hermione watched her rival's retreating back. _He sure has a strange look in his eyes. _Not knowing what he was up to, she did the most un-Gryffindor thing. She left. She left a quickly scribbled note on Ginny's chair, and fled. She didn't stop until she reached the safety of her hotel room.

The bartender handed Draco the drinks. The wizard, decided to take the Slytherin path to his goal of getting the girl. He pulled a small vial out of his pocket and poured it into one of the drinks. It was a love potion, brewed by his very talented mother, herself. With a triumphant smirk on his face, he headed towards the table where he had left the stunning beauty from his dreams. When he neared the table, his face fell. She was gone.

From Stephan's table, two tables away, Ginny had spotted a platinum blonde walking across the room. She would know that hair color any where…Malfoy. She was watching with amusement until she noticed he was heading. She looked ahead of him, and realized he was headed towards her table, with two drinks. _What is he doing? Two drinks…Hermione! He was bringing Hermione a drink. _She looked ahead and realized Hermione was not at the table. When she saw that prick's face turn red with fury, Ginny let out a very loud laugh.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	6. An Unforseen Meeting

Chapter 6

An Unforeseen Meeting

On the 21st, Hermione and Ginny returned to London to do their school shopping. Aunt Candy, as a final parting gift, set the girls up at a nice hotel, as usual, and more than enough money to buy the girls' school supplies and new robes, with plenty left over for trips to Hogsmeade.

_Diagon Alley, 12 noon, August 29th_

The girls wanted to wait until the last possible day to do their shopping, so that not too many of their fellow students would be out and about to see them. Unfortunately, it seemed the entire student body of Hogwarts had the same plan in mind; the usual hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley was triple what it usually was, cluttered with Hogwarts students buying supplies for the upcoming year. It was quite challenging to navigate the twisted street at noon, two days before the sleek red train left for Hogwarts.

Hermione and Ginny decided their first stop had to be Madam Maulkin's Robes for all Occasions, because the muggle clothes they were wearing were attracting far too much attention from the witches and wizards they passed.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The mauve swathed dressmaker attacked the two girls when she realized they needed an ten sets of new school robes, as well as a new set of regular robes. Enchanted tape whizzed by their heads and around their bodies, as an enchanted quill took down the measurements. After the measurements were taken, Hermione and Ginny browsed through the racks and chose new robes for the upcoming year. Madam Maulkin, immediately set to work altering one set of regular robes for the girls to wear out of the store, and promised the other robes would be complete the next afternoon at two.

Decked out in new robes, both knee length, complete with mid calf length cloaks to match and the heels from their time in London, the girls looked like they belonged at Beaubatons. They continued on to The Quill and Parchment stationary shop to select new rolls of parchment, notebooks, quills and inks. Just for the fun of it, the girl had each item personalized with their initials.

Hermione and Ginny decided that a break was in order at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, since they couldn't get their other supplies. They hadn't received their Hogwarts letters yet, so they didn't know what they needed past the basics. Ironically, as they sat down with their treats, two brown owls swooped down and dropped two letters; one to Hermione J. Granger and the other to Ginevra M. Weasley.

"You would think McGonagall would have the decency to put 'Ginny' on my letter. No one calls me that, except my mother." Ginny said, obviously irritated by the use of her formal name. Ice creams aside, they tore into the cream colored envelopes and scanned their respective letters.

Hermione fairly screamed, "I got Head Girl!" She kept reading, until she got to the part that was supposed to tell her about leading the prefect's meeting on the train. "Oh no! The teachers have canceled the prefect's meeting, until we arrive at school. Darn! I was really looking forward to that!"

Ginny made a lopsided frown. "I got prefect again. No big surprise there." She folded up her letter. "Should we finish our ice creams and then go ahead to Flourish and Blotts to have them set aside our books so we can pick them up tomorrow? Maybe a few new books would perk you up after the_ fiasco_ of the cancelled prefect meeting."

Perked up by the mention of new books, yet annoyed slightly by Ginny's sarcasm, Hermione replied, "I will not let you ruin my day!" She stuck her tongue out at Ginny and smiled as she started eating her sundae in earnest. When they were done, they left Fortescue's and headed past the Quidditch supply store and into Flourish and Blotts.

_Inside the Quidditch Supply Shop, 4:37 pm_

Inside the quidditch supply shop, Harry Potter was tired of listening to his best friend and partner in crime drone on and on about how wonderful his summer had been, how great it was working for the dynamic Weasley duo, Fred and George. If that wasn't enough, for the last two weeks, Harry's dreams had been intruded upon, but not by Voldemort.

No, his dreams were now dominated by a petite blonde that looked oddly familiar to him. It was like he was watching her go about her life, almost like muggle TV. She and a companion she called Darcy, were always doing something. On an even more embarrassing note, when he wasn't seeing her in her everyday life, in his dreams, he saw her in his arms in his bed. He had become so obsessed with her, he could barely eat or do anything else but think of her. It was maddening, and he knew if he didn't find her soon, well… _best not dwell on that._

Harry turned his back to Ron, who was bragging to some stranger, and faced the store front window display that held the latest in quidditch gear. He saw a flash of blonde go in front of a store and looked up. _It's her! Oh my God it is her! I have to follow her. I have to find out who she is. I have to have her. _

He turned to find Ron, and grabbed his sleeve, trying to drag him out of the store. After a bit of a struggle, he finally had Ron out of the store.

"What in the bloody hell is your problem?" Ron asked, getting angry at Harry for interrupting his story, before he got to the best part.

Harry ignored Ron, and began to forcibly drag Ron behind him. "Remember the girl I told you about when I got back to the Burrow? The one I have been seeing in my dream?"

Ron looked at Harry like he was stupid. "So what mate? You interrupted my story because you think you saw some girl from your dreams? What is wrong with you? She is a dream. As in not real."

"But she is real. You have to see her! Just follow me. If you don't see what I am seeing, then … well, just look." Harry grabbed sprinted off towards Flourish & Blotts.

_Inside Flourish & Blotts, 4:42 pm_

Hermione and Ginny left their book lists with the clerk at the front, paid for their purchases in advance, and headed up the stairs. They both wanted to search for some books that might help them figure out this mystery.

They had found the right section, on Irish Magic, when Ginny looked down from the second floor. "Oh shit Hermione, we have to go. We have to go now!" She grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her out of the line of sight of the front door, as she mumbled under her breath.

"What on earth? Why are we hiding? Stop mumbling!" Hermione asked. Ginny clasped her hand over Hermione's mouth and pointed her finger down towards the main level. Hermione peaked around the edge of the bookcase, and looked straight into the eyes of Ron and Harry, who starred back up at her.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Dear Merlin mate! You were right! She is gorgeous! All that dark curly hair…!" Ron started.

"Not her, you moron! The blonde with her. She is the one I have been seeing. I have to talk to her." Harry and Ron pushed through a throng of older witches and wizards and raced up the stairs to the second story.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Upon seeing the boys heading towards the stairs, the girls had to think fast. "We have to get out of here Ginny!" Hermione closed her eyes, and remembered there was a backroom downstairs, where the more expensive and rare books were kept. "Follow me." Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm headed towards the back staircase that would take them down to the main floor, and to the back room.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Just as they started down the stairs, Harry and Ron reached the second floor. They began to search the stacks for the two girls, but all was in vain. "Let's go wait outside the door, and we will catch them as they come out!" Ron thought aloud.

"Brilliant Ron! Then they will think we are creepy stalkers! No, we will have to…The cloak! My dad's invisibility cloak! We can hide under it, wait for them out here, and find out more about them, without them knowing it!" Harry pulled the cloak out of his back pocket, and he and Ron stepped out of sight, before throwing it over their heads. The boys carefully made their way out of the store and sat on the sidewalk, to wait for the girls.

_Backroom, Flourish & Blotts, 4:48 pm_

"Whew! I sure am glad you know your way around this store! I thought they were going to catch us for sure." Ginny looked around the room. Old musty books filled the shelves that covered the walls. Stacks of books were all over the tables that took up most of the rest of the space in the room. "What are we going to do now?"

Hermione ran a finger over the spines of several books that were on the shelf in front of them. "Well, we can look over these books and see if any of them could have any information we could use. It isn't like we have anything else to do with our time."

They began to scan the spines of the books in front of them for anything that might help them.

_Three hours later, outside Flourish & Blotts…_

"Harry, I am starving, don't you think we can go now? They are probably never going to come out here. They have been in that store for hours." Ron complained

Harry was getting irritated. Ron had been complaining steadily after about the first half hour. "Go, you bloody git! I can't leave. I have to see her. I have to talk to her. For the first time in two weeks, I can breathe easily. I don't feel like every breath is torture. If I leave, I don't think I will make it back to the twins' shop. If you do go, make sure my things make it to the train. I have to stay here until she leaves."

Ron looked at Harry. For the first time, he noticed the dark circles under his best friend's eyes. _He does look a bit rough around the edges, his skin looked sickly and he had definitely lost weight. Maybe I should just leave him, he can't get much worse._ "Okay, but I will go get you something to eat and drink before I head back to Fred & George's place. I'll make sure your things make it to the train. After all, that's what best mates are for!"

Harry watched Ron race off into the distance. Twenty minutes later, the redhead returned, bearing the gifts of food, candy, and butterbeer, and then left again. For the first time in weeks, Harry was hungry and ate everything that was before him. _Merlin, I hope she comes out soon…_

_Inside Flourish and Blotts…_

"Hermione! Come look at this!" A dust covered Ginny pulled out an ancient black leather bound tome entitled, _Unsolved Prophesies: A Collection of Curious Unsolved Curses From Antiquity._

Hermione raced over to Ginny and turned to the table of contents. _Very well organized. _The book was separated by continent, country and then by time. She ran her finger down the page until she reached Europe, skimmed down to Ireland, and her heart stopped when she read the first title. _The Curse of the Morrigna, 1002 B.C., page 811. _Carefully, she turned to page 811. On the page was a sketch of a three witches. The caption read simply "_The Morrigna: Morrigan, Macha, & Badb_" and no date was given.

"Oh, Merlin Ginny. I have seen that witch!" Hermione whispered as she pointed to Macha. "She has long brown hair and the saddest brown eyes I have ever seen."

Ginny looked confused. "Are you sure? The date says 1002 B.C. That can't be possible."

"It is. Remember that old trunk I bought at the flea market in Paris? She was the woman who sold it to me. What does it say?" Hermione asked as she pulled the notebook from her purse. _Thank Merlin I never leave_ _home without you!_

"Well it lists the Morrigna as a triple aspect war deity. The three goddesses were the daughters of the mother goddess Ernmas. Morrigan, herself, was a goddess of war, held sway over the strongest warrior in any given battle. Her most common alternate form was the red winged raven. Macha, the goddess of sovereignty, could decimate entire armies. She was often shown in the form of a horse. Badb, the goddess of prophecy, announced the death of those killed in battle in a form commonly known as the battle crow." Ginny read. Her eyes scanned the rest of the page. "Hmm. What is this?"

Hermione swiped the book from Ginny's hands. "_The Prophecy Particulars_. Well that is certainly to the point." She placed the ancient book next to her note book and scribbled as she read. "According to _anonymous_ sources, this curse has a maximum of 3000 years to be broken. Three girls each generation (25 years) will be given a task to complete indirectly and directly from the Morrigna until the curse is broken. Although no there is no specific 'be-careful-or-the-world-will-end' warnings, failure to complete the task results in the loss of youth and magic of the girls as well as marking a turn for the worse in their magical society. Legend does however tell of an awesome power, wielded by the three, should they succeed. It is said to be able to change the course of the future."

"You realize what it is saying right?" Ginny asked.

Hermione pondered for the question. "Actually Ginny, I have no idea!"

Ginny raised a slim eyebrow. "Really? You mean Hermione Granger doesn't know the answer to a question?" She cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone. "Attention. Attention." She said in a loud voice. "Hermione Granggg…"

"Shhhhh. I know it is hard to believe that I might not know the answer, but let's not announce it to the world, especially the owner who doesn't know we are here!"

"Okay I won't tell anyone about this lapse in mental ability. Just let me tell you what it means. Assuming we are the next and last generation..." Ginny said.

"What do you mean last?" Hermione all but shrieked.

Ginny grinned. "Again I can't believe you haven't figured this out yet."

Hermione scowled.

"Just let me start at the beginning. The book said the curse has 3000 years to be solved. It also said it started in 1002 B.C. Three thousand minus 1,002 is 1998, which is next year. As each generation has about 30 years, that means we are going to be the last, as 1998 is next year, so we have at the absolute most fifteen months to figure this out." Ginny said smiling. "Now do you understand where I am going with this?"

Hermione's eyes went wide. "The last generation started 30 years ago, 1968, when Voldmort began to gather followers and started the Death Eaters. Thirty years before that,1938, Tom Riddle came to Hogwarts. Every time 'the three' fail, something bad happens in the magical world. If we fail, now, it could mean…"

"Don't even say it Hermione. We will NOT fail. We don't have a choice. We can not fail." Ginny said forcefully.

"You are right. We will not fail. Now let's see." Hermione nodded and turned the page. Both pages were filled with the images of women with names and dates below. "Oh, Ginny, look. It says _Ninety-Nine Generations of Morrigna Curse Receivers: A Study in What Has to be the Longest List of Failures in Wizarding History_." Hermione frowned. "Well, I am just tickled pink that the author finds this amusing and apparently has faith in the ability of this curse to be resolved." She ran her fingers over the photographs of the women who had gone before them. "They all look so sad. I guess these were taken after each failure."

Ginny nodded. At the end of the page she spotted Liadan. "Look Mione, it is Liadan, and Darina and Tangi." She noticed the birth and death years. "None of them made it to twenty. Not one."

"We have to have this book. If the owner won't let us, we need to keep these images, just in case. I have to go get one of those cameras so that we can keep these pictures, just in case the owner won't let us buy this book. Stay here, I will be right back!" Hermione raced up the stairs, to the second floor, and down the main stairway, out the front door, and past a very surprised Harry.

_Where is she going? Where is the other one? _Harry stood and watched the curly haired girl race into a store only to emerge at a sprint, carrying a box wrapped in brown paper and twine. _I can follow her; maybe she will lead me to the blonde._

This time, when the dark haired girl passed him, he followed her; up the stairs, down the stairs, and into a room he didn't think they should be in. He watches the girl drop the box on one of the tables, and then he stopped breathing for a moment. There she was. His girl came up to the one dressed in the dark green robes and reached for the box.

"Oooh. I have always wanted one of these! Yes!" Quickly, she checked all of the parts and took a practice shot of her friend. "Alright what do we need pictures of?"

"Get all of the images in this section of the book. The Morrigna, the two pages of cameos, and go ahead and look to see if there are any others in this section."

"Alrighty!" Ginny exclaimed happily as she started clicking away. When she was done, she handed the camera over saying, "Here you are. One trio of mortal cursing goddesses and 297 curse breaking failures."

_Curses? _Harry was curious what these two beauties could have to do with curses. They looked far too young for Cursebreakers.

"Did you find anything about the part of the curse that Liadan told us?" Hermione asked and Ginny began to read a copy of what Liadan had said that was recorded in the book.

Harry was captivated, but that soon faded into confusion, when he noticed the blonde's lips moving, but no sound coming out.

Hermione started flipping through the pages. "_Rules of Engagement: Guidelines for those Cursed by the Morrigna. _"Glad to know our author has such a sense of humor." She snorted. "_Rule one, Secrecy. Nice try ladies, but you can't tell anyone but the three of you involved about the curse. Remember it is up to you, not you and half of the world_."

"I am glad I don't know this person. I would have smacked him by now." Ginny said in an irritated voice. "Go ahead, read on."

"_Even if you tried, they couldn't hear it. Even if you wrote it, they wouldn't read it. Even if by some magical loophole, someone else managed to come across this information, their memories would be erased within an hour of learning the information. _I guess that means no cheating on this test."

Harry watched his blue robed beauty, trying to figure out what he was missing, the gaps, in their conversations. While he was mulling this over, Hermione began pacing the room, while Ginny started writing what she had just read.

"So we can't communicate this curse to anyone but the three of us involved. If we somehow accidentally managed to do it, it would only last for an hour. Of course they wouldn't know that and their memories of the event would be gone before they could do anything with the information." Hermione said in a frustrated tone.

At that last bit of information, Harry perked up. _I guess that means I should be writing this down. _He looked around him and saw a piece of paper near him on floor. He slid his hand out from under his cloak and slowly slid the paper towards the safety of his cloak. _A quill. Where is a bloody quill?_ He spotted a pre-inked quill on the table near the abandoned book. Very quietly, he whispered, "Accio quill." Before he knew it, he was hit in the chest by a sharp quill and made a small sound before he could stop himself.

The girls jumped. "Did you hear anything?" Hermione asked, looking around the room.

Ginny shook her head and turned a page in the book. "_Rule two, Time. Each new generation of the cursed three begin their attempt to break the curse at Lammas, the year following the death of the last member of the previous generation._ Well at least we have some time left. Liadan is still alive. Now we just have to find out when Lammas is."

"Don't even ask if I know when Lammas is." Hermione said threateningly. All of the sudden her eyes got big. "Turn back to the page that had the cameos."

Ginny complied and handed the book to Hermione.

"Oh, no! No!" She cried, tears forming in her eyes.

Ginny looked confused. "What is it?"

"She's dead."

"Who?"

"Liadan. She died the day we left Ireland."

Ginny moved to hug Hermione. "It is okay. Everyone dies Hermione. It happens. She was old, ancient even. It was her time..."

"No, she wasn't she was only 41. Younger than your mother. Remember, forfeit your magic and your youth. She was only sixteen twenty-five years ago."

Ginny didn't know what to say.

"We have to do this for her. For all of them." Hermione said wiping away her tears. "Please continue reading."

"Okay, onward we go. _Rule three, Help. The cursed will be given the help along the way, whether they choose to recognize it as such or not. Each of you will receive one item from their 'mother goddess' that is needed to end the curse as well as mementos from the ones that came before them. Apparently no one has figured out what to do with them. Good luck. _Again with this sarcasm. _Rule four, Clue. That's right. Here is your next clue Darcy and Fiona. _Okay, pause." Ginny looked up at a wide eyed Hermione. "How could the author know we were reading this book? I mean, I just read our names. How creepy!"

"Don't ask me! I have no idea. Just keep reading." Hermione whispered.

"Okay." Ginny took a deep breath. "_That's right. We know who you are. It is now your turn._ _You must find your third sister, the badb-catha. You will find her when you reach your next destination."_

Hermione looked up from the page she had been writing on; worry clearly etched on her face. "That doesn't sound very helpful. I think I need to go ask the owner if I can buy this book."

"I will just pick up our stuff and meet you back at our hotel. We can get the pictures developed later." Ginny said as she began gathering their things.

Harry was in shock. He had written down everything he had heard, and from what little he understood, the girls were in trouble. Big trouble.

*~*~*~*~*~*


	7. Reaching Their Destination

Chapter 7

Reaching Their Destination

After sleeping in for the last morning of their summer vacation, Hermione and Ginny headed to pick up the supplies they had order the day before, and the book Hermione had purchased the afternoon before. Suprisingly, the owner had been excited to find a buyer for the book since there were whole chapters, sometimes 10-20 pages that were blank. Who knew?

They brought them back to their room, packed up their things, except for a travel bag that held their things to change into on the train. Hermione called in a maid, and had her shrink the trunks and perform a weightless spell, so they could put their trunks in their carry-on bags. They couldn't risk having any of their luggage go missing.

*~*~*~*~*~*

By suppertime, they decided they couldn't avoid the subject any longer. "How do you want things to go tomorrow? I mean, I don't think we can just meet up with Harry and Ron and ride to Hogwarts tomorrow. For one, you and Ron aren't exactly on speaking terms and second, I don't think Harry will ignore the fact that we all but ran from him and Ron the other day. He will demand an explanation and we both know we can't give him one."

"I have been thinking about that." Hermione replied looking out the window of the Muggle café they were eating at. "I think this is one of those rare times that lying is the only option. Not a huge, bald-face lie, just a small white lie."

"Like what?" Ginny asked apprehensively.

Hermione looked back at Ginny. "What would any other seventh year girl's reason be for doing the same thing if they had gone on a shopping spree and looked significantly different that she did when she started?"

Ginny looked confused. "I am not following."

In her best Lavender/Patil impression she said, "Surprise!"

"Okay, I get it," Ginny said nodding. "We tell him we just wanted to surprise him, and everyone at dinner at the Great Hall."

"Exactly. We both know that he is stressed and worried about Voldemort." Ginny cringed a little as Hermione said this. "But it will work to our advantage because he will not think too hard on it."

"Oh, and we won't exactly be lying because we DO want to surprise everyone." Ginny said happily.

"We just omit that it was also because we can't tell him about our curse. The only problem we have left to resolve is how we are going to avoid them until dinner."

Ginny thought on this for a while. She smiled. "We just have to make it onto the train before they do and get off after them."

'Sounds like a plan to me!" Hermione said brightly.

*~*~*~*~*~*

_The Girls' Room, Dawn, September 1st_

Hermione and Ginny woke with a start. Ginny looked over at Hermione. "Did you dream of a Morrigan?"

"No, Macha. What did she say to you?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"She said something about the six of us, that we would be brought together today. We have to learn from their past, the ones who failed, learn from their weaknesses. We must gain our strength from their strengths. It was really weird. She looked like she really thought we could do this. She wasn't sarcastic like the one from the book." Ginny looked like she was thinking.

"It was the same with me, just it was Macha. I just wanted to check with you, to make sure I wasn't losing my mind." Hermione said, letting out a deep breath. She walked over to her bag that was resting on the desk, and wrote down what she remembered from her dream, as well as what Ginny described. She put the notebook back in her bag.

"Well since we are up, we might as well, get dressed. I know we aren't going back to sleep anytime soon. That way we can get to the train before anyone sees us."

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Kings Cross Station, 9:30 am, September 1st_

Hermione and Ginny stood at Kings Cross Station, in front of the wall that would take them to Platform 9 ¾ to the Hogwarts Express. They walked quickly through the wall carrying their bags.

Platform 9 ¾ was deserted. The girls headed to the end of the train. Since the prefect's meeting was cancelled, they didn't need to sit in the front of the train, which was good. Hermione had spent most of the night trying to decide the best way to make it to Hogwarts without being seen by anyone they knew. She knew they needed to be as far away as they could get from where they would normally be. So they boarded the last carriage, went to the middle compartment, and closed and locked the door behind them.

After Hermione had pulled out one of her textbooks, she had amused herself by watching Ginny fight the urge to sleep, finally succumbing after only five minutes. The brunette cracked her book and began reading. Her eyes were focused on the words, but her mind was far away. She had been going back and forth over what Ginny had said about Ron possibly being her other half. It was a perfectly logical assumption. On top of that, there were far too many parallels between her and Ron and Macha and Crunnchu.

Their relationships had not started with love, or lust, or anything like it. _Come to think of it, my relationship with Ron was more like taking the next step that everyone had expected from us. It wasn't that I was madly in love with Ron, it was more about me feeling comfortable with him. _Hermione closed her book, as a thought came crashing down on her that made her feel as though a weight had been lifted off her chest. _It isn't Ron! It can't be. Macha would never have been that angry and hurt over someone she didn't love. She had loved Crunnchu. But I..._Hermione's breath caught, suddenly feeling as though her heart had stopped.

_I never really loved Ron. If I never loved Ron, then who is my other half?_

_*~*~*~*~*~*  
_

_Hogwarts Express- Last Car, 10:55 am, September 1st _

Harry and Ron arrived at the station and boarded the train only moments before it pulled out of the station. Harry had practically had to drag the redhead all the way from the Burrow, or they never would have made it in time. He was glad they didn't have to find an alternative form of transportation to his beloved school. Last time that had happened, they had almost gotten expelled, and he wasn't about to risk that. The blonde would be at Hogwarts, and he had to find her. She had been on his mind since the day at Diagon Alley, and even made her way into his dreams again, until she had been replaced last night by a black haired man with a cryptic message.

The boys settled in for the long trip to Hogsmeade station in the last compartment of the train, next to the onboard loo, because when you are the last ones on the train you get slim pickings on seating_. So it looks like we get to spend the next seven hours in the jerkiest car on the train next to the stinking loo. Brilliant! Thank you, Ron._

Once he had gotten past his irritation, Harry was trying to decide if he should tell Ron about his dream. He knew Ron was his best mate, but would he understand? He barely understood about the girl from his dreams, so would he understand about some strange man appearing to him and what he had told him? _Well, since Hermione is nowhere to be found, I guess Ron is all I've got_

"Ron, I had this really strange dream last night…" Harry started, only to be interrupted by his wide eyed friend.

"It wasn't You-Know-Who, was it?" Ron whispered and gulped.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "No, there was a man and he had a strange message…" Harry proceeded to tell Ron about the dream, not knowing who was passing his door at that very moment.

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

_Hogwarts Express- Last Car- Outside the Door to the Last Compartment, 11:15 am, September 1st_

Draco Malfoy paused outside of a door. The words "prophesy" and "dream" had caused him to stop. He listened to Harry Potter tell Ron about a strange dream. _What the hell is going on? How does Potter know about my dream? I sure as hell am about to find out! _He thought arrogantly.

When Harry finished his story, Ron was about to speak when the door to the compartment was slowly opened. Both boys immediately had their wands at the ready, pointed at a very calm looking Malfoy.

"Weasel," he inclined his head in the direction of the redhead. "Potter." Malfoy leaned against the door frame, "Enjoying your trip?" He asked, looking about the cabin nonchalantly. "I have to say I have expected better accommodations for the future savior of the wizarding world and his faithful companions." The blonde craned his neck as though he were looking for something. "Where is the rest of the group? I notice that the Weaslette and the Know- it- All are painfully obvious in their absence."

Ron had slowly been turning scarlet the entire time Malfoy had been speaking. "Out Malfoy," Ron said through clenched teeth. "They are none of your concern." He drew his wand.

"Tsk, tsk. Didn't your parents teach you not to threaten people?" Malfoy said smoothly, smirking a bit. "Anyway, I am not here to talk to anyone but Potter." He looked directly at his emerald eyed enemy. "I had a question about not letting the past become part of the present."

Harry cocked his head to the side and looked hard at Malfoy, who just raised his eyebrow in answer to the unasked question. Without looking away from the Slytherin, Harry addressed Ron. "Maybe Malfoy is right Ron. Hermione and Ginny are missing. You should go see if you can find them. Don't worry, I can take him, if I need to."

Ron grumbled about 'the sorry, sneaking, Slytherin bastard', but he left to find the girls. When Ron was gone, Malfoy reached into his cloak and pulled out his wand. Harry didn't even flinch. The blonde performed a locking and silencing spell on the door. "Don't worry Potter, I wasn't lying, I really do just want to talk to you. I don't have some sneaky plan for your impending doom." Malfoy sat gracefully across from Harry. "I was walking by your compartment and couldn't help but hear you tell Weasley about your dream. Didn't mean to, but I did. The thing is, I had a very similar dream. A blonde haired man was sitting in front of a fire, and was talking about learning from someone and the six of us meeting today. I was just curious about what you knew about it." He put away his wand and pulled out two pieces of parchment from the dark depths of his cloak and handed them to his enemy.

Harry took the papers, shocked that Malfoy wasn't being a prick, then noticed his eyes. They looked like he hadn't slept much, and although Malfoy was always lean looking, he looked even more so. He looked like Harry had before Molly Weasley had made sure he was fattened up a bit, even though you could barely tell. The fact that Malfoy had mentioned the future altering choices, that he had chosen to not mention to Ron, Harry had decided to trust him. _A little._

Harry turned to his bag and pulled out the papers he had written while listening to the girls, his version of his dream, and a sketch of the man. He handed them to Malfoy who began reading, immediately

Harry opened the first parchment. It was an excellent sketch of a man he didn't recognize, but looked familiar. _CREEPY!_ Quickly he folded it up and opened the next one. _Oh Merlin. These are the exact words he said to me, minus a few details. _

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

Fog, lots of fog. I find myself outside, sitting in front of a fire. A young man sitting in front of a fire wearing nothing but black.

I ask him who he is.

"I, young dragon, am one of the three mortals beloved by the Morrigna. These three immortals, sisters, cast the curse that now claims you."

"What do you mean claims me? I don't even know who the Morrigna are, why would they curse me?" I ask.

He smiles. "They didn't curse you, per se. They cursed mortals in general. When I was alive, I loved Macha. She was perfect. Clever, stubborn, but most of all, she loved me. Trusted me, and I betrayed her trust. From the day she walked into my home, she never asked for anything. The only thing she asked of me was my silence, and I betrayed her. As did Cuchalainn and Enna Airgdech. They betrayed the women that loved them."

I didn't understand how that had anything do with me, so I asked. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, one stormy night, the sisters got together. They drank and poured out their hearts to each other. At the height of the storm, Badb, suggested they make the mortals pay for what they had done. So in their drunken state they cast the curse that is now part of your future."

"How do I get rid of this curse?" I asked.

Again he smiled. "It isn't up to just you. Today, the six of you will begin your journey. This day, events will be put into motion from which there is no turning back. Your task is simple. You must find the other two that represent the mortals Cuchalainn and Enna Airgdech and together you three must keep the three females from following in the footsteps of the Morrigna. Don't let the mistakes of the past find their way into the present. Your future depends on it. Don't let the past repeat itself."

"Who are these other two guys? How will I find them?" I asked.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, young dragon." He said before he disappeared and I wake up.

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

Harry carefully folded the paper. "Wow. Um, I don't even know where to begin. Well, I think we are in for another year; that is another year that is as far from dull as is possible. Did my notes help any?"

"Yeah. I had no idea what to even think about this dream, but now, it is a little clearer. It is obvious that you are one of the three, the warrior Cuchalainn. I am still not sure what to think of it all yet." Malfoy put his head in his hands. He didn't want to ask, but he had to. "Have you been having those _other _dreams too? The one with the beautiful girl that you feel like you have to… _have_ or you just might die?"

"Oh sweet Merlin, yes, have I had those dreams! I almost died. For two weeks, I couldn't eat or sleep. Mrs. Weasley almost had me committed me to St. Mungo's! She thought I was under some kind of curse. I just couldn't stop thinking about the blonde, I…" Harry was about to elaborate, but Malfoy cut in.

"Blonde?" He asked. "But the girl in my dreams had short dark curly hair."

The light bulb went on above Harry's head. "I saw them. They were together. Two days ago in Diagon Alley, I saw them and followed them. That is how I found out about the prophecy and all…wait. What if they are somehow connected to this?" Harry asked. "What if that is why we are having these dreams. Maybe we are connected to the blonde and the brunette, Fiona and Darcy?

"Potter, I can't believe I am saying this, but you are a genius! Now what are we going to do?" Draco paused. "The man mentioned six. We one make up four of the six. We need to find out soon, before we do something wrong. I think we should find out as much as we can. What do you think about meeting this Saturday at noon, somewhere no one can find us?" Malfoy asked hopefully.

Harry smiled. "Sounds like a plan to me. Can you get to the Shrieking Shack?" He asked.

"I guess so." He replied as he stood.

"See you on Saturday." Harry said standing to shake his hand.

Malfoy recoiled a bit. "This doesn't change anything Potter. We are still enemies."

"I never thought different." Harry said ruefully.

Malfoy left the compartment. As he was about to head up to the front of the car, a petite blonde girl bumped into him and didn't even bother to apologize. Normally, he would have cursed her without a second thought, but he was too deep in thought to worry about it.

As he neared the middle of the car, he noticed one door was cracked open just a bit. Curiosity being his worst vice, he pushed the door open just a bit more. His silver eyes traveled from a pair of sexy stilettos all the way up to a head of…_curly brown hair. _He couldn't stop himself from walking into the sleeping girl's compartment. When he looked at her face, his jaw dropped, and he couldn't believe his luck.

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

_Hogwarts Express-Last Car-Middle Cabin, September 1st , 11:30 am  
_  
Draco still couldn't believe his eyes as he closed the door to the cabin. _Well, I guess I can check _find the girl_ off my list. Damn she is even more gorgeous asleep than she was in Paris. "Apaca la loose_" he whispered, and the lights went out in the cabin, leaving only a small beam of evening light shinning onto the floor between them. He slid down to his knees and took a closer look at her. His skin began to flush.

Her cheeks were smooth, and so soft he couldn't help but reach out and run the back of fingertips over them. He pulled them away, just that little touch was testing his control. She stirred, ever so slightly, slipping her bottom lip between her rosy lips. _She looks good enough to kiss. Should I? I mean I could, she IS asleep and all. It can't hurt anything…_Draco decided the prize was worth the chance. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, and even in her dreams she responded.

Hermione was lost in a dreamy Paris. She had been thinking about that night in Paris before she had fallen asleep. _He _had occupied the back of her mind since that night. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she had been at that table when he had come back. _Would he have kissed me? Would he have taken me somewhere? What could have happened? _She bit her lip, nervously as her mind wondered through the possibilities. _Would he have been a good kisser? Ron was okay, but there was nothing there. Nothing. When he kissed me it was bland and boring._

Warm soft lips pressed against hers. _Hmm…this is nice. This is what it is supposed to feel like. I am supposed to feel alive. _Warm currents of energy ran through her body, starting in the pit of her stomach and spiraling out towards her fingers and toes. She reached out to pull her dream closer and came in contact with…_skin? A real person? _Her eyes fluttered open, but she couldn't see much. _Well, since I can't see him and he can't see me…oh what the hell. It's just a dream. _She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him up on top of her.

_I can't believe she just did that. _The fact that she had responded by putting her arms around him was surprise enough, but then she had pulled him up on top of her. He had already started to lose his senses when he had kissed her, but now, what little shred of control he had left was gone.

The train jerked.

He fell off the bench, onto his back, taking her with him. As soon as he hit the floor, her hands were on him. She was quickly undoing the buttons, and his hands readily followed suit. Within fifteen seconds they had moved from shirts to pants. Malfoy's hands had run up her thighs and were now kneading her bum, while she was unbuckling his trousers and trying to slide them down his hips.

He rolled her onto her back, unzipping her skirt and removing it from her waist. Their hands were everywhere, and so were their lips. In a few heated seconds, their clothes were scattered around them. They both knew they had reached the point of no return, yet neither looked back.

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

Hogwarts Express-Last Car-September 1st, 11:35 am

_Man I had to pee. I didn't think I was going to make it. _Ginny closed the door to the tiny onboard loo. She turned to go back to her cabin before anyone saw her when the cabin door in front of her opened. _Too late._

_It's her, it's her! _Harry thought. He looked into those blue eyes. _They look so familiar, but there is something else there…_He focused a little harder. She closed her eyes, and slowly opened them, long lashes sweeping up until she was boldly looking back at him. When her eyes met his, he knew what it was…_Lust. _He knew the feeling, especially since the dreams had begun. Without thinking, he reached down and scooped her up into his arms. His body was on fire. _I can't believe I am doing this, but I just can't stop myself. If I don't touch her, I am sure I will explode. _

She in turn wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs tightly around his hips. She held on as Harry backed into the cabin, kicking the door closed with his foot. Even though this was what she had wanted for so long, Ginny couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She had hoped that Harry would know it was her, but then again she knew that if he had he wouldn't touch her out of loyalty to Ron. _Well, it this or nothing, now or never. _

Her fingers snaked up into his hair pulling his glasses off and tossing them up above the seats. His right hand snaked up her thigh and then paused. Harry looked into her eyes, as if to ask for permission to keep going.

Ginny didn't dare speak. She knew if she did, that he would know instantly who she was. _And besides, actions speak louder than words. _She smirked a bit as she reached down with her left hand to touch his hand as it lay on her leg. Gently, she brushed it aside and slid down his body until her feet touched the floor. With his hand still in hers, she led him over to one of the seats. As she knelt in front of him on the seat, she placed her hand on his waist and slowly began to loosen his belt, until it slipped from his hips, to hit the floor.

The emerald eyed boy couldn't believe what was happening. Instead of stopping him, she had done almost exactly what it was he needed. And that was the truth. He needed her. _Completely._ As the train jerked a bit, and she swayed into her arms, all conscious thought left both of them. They had passed that unseen point and neither wanted to be anywhere else.

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

_A/N: I have posted a new story, It Was Love. I would love to hear more from my readers! A big thanks to lucyferr who has reviewed all of my chapters so far. I will NOT withhold chapters for reviews. That is just mean! I will update every two days. Or sooner._

_Happy Holidays!_

_-kimberlylynne  
_


	8. And So It Begins

Chapter 8

And So It Begins

_Hogwarts Express-Last Car, Last Cabin, 7:36 pm, September 1st_

The evening sun was beginning to set when Ginny woke up to the gentle jerks from the train. A soft breath was released against her neck. _What the hell…SHIT! Shit, shit, shit!!!_ Harry's dark head was resting on her naked chest. Ginny's eyes swept across his broad shoulders and down his smooth back, slightly marred by fading red scratches. She blushed as she remembered what had happened. _What am I going to do? This is worse, much worse than I thought it could be. Why couldn't I have thought this through? I have to get out of here before he wakes up!_

As if the goddesses were watching out for her, at that moment the train jerked a bit and she slid out from under Harry's warm body. Her eyes searched for her robes. _Idiot! _She screamed at herself._ What in the bloody hell was I thinking? How am I supposed to fix this now_? She pulled her robes on. Then the answer hit her.

In the bookstore, she had come across a book of memory charms. A few had caught her eye, but now, one stood out from the rest. _Come on Ginny, what was it called? Remember, remember! Yeah! _The _Partial Veritas _Charm.

_What do I need? _Her mind raced as she searched her memory for the particulars of the charm. _A pensieve, and her wand. Not too hard. _She reached into her robe and pulled out her wand. _Wand, check! Pensieve, pensieve, where to find a pensieve? _She was feeling creative, so she reached for Harry's right shoe that lay next to her left knee. _Excellent! Now I just have to transfigure the shoe into a pensieve. _She did this quickly and was pleased as a newly formed pensieve lay before her ready to be used.

The train jerked violently, and Ginny held her breath as a nude Harry grunted and rolled onto his back. _Damn that was close. If he would have woken up and seen me like this, I am not sure what would be worse, explaining everything, or explaining everything plus the fact that I was about to alter his memories. _Without a moment's hesitation, she stupefied him so she could hurry up and finish this and get out.

Ginny used her wand to retrieve the memories they had just made, and place them in the pensieve. When she was done, she entered the shimmering bowl.

Methodically she set about to use her wand as a muggle eraser to smudge her face from all of his memories. He would remember making love to her, but he wouldn't be able to recall her face. When she was done, she carefully replaced his edited memories from whence they came. She transfigured the bowl back into a shoe and was about to leave when she looked back at him. _He is even beautiful when he is asleep….wait! He is still naked! _

_Harry would defiantly find something amiss if he woke up with no clothes on! _She quickly charmed his clothes back onto his body with a quietly muttered _Envestiate! _She even levitated him back onto the seat.

With her dirty little secret tidied up, she slipped out the door and…

"Umph!" Ginny grunted as she collided with a hard mass. She looked up into her brother's eyes. "Sorry!" She said in a high pitched voice, and she hurried off to her own compartment as Ron entered his.

Ginny rushed into her compartment and closed the door behind her. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes. After a few moments, her heart stopped racing and she opened her eyes. _Wait a minute. The lights are off. _She lit the tip of her wand her breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell upon Hermoine's naked back, her slim body wrapped around a lean, muscular blonde. _Wait, make that platinum blonde! Only one person in all of Hogwarts has hair that color. _Ginny inched closer to get a better look._ Damn! It is Malfoy. _

"_Stupify!" _she whispered.

The colored beam from her wand hit Malfoy and Hermione, although Ginny had aimed it at Draco's head alone. _Damn jerking train!_ _Oh well, let's get this over with. _As she definitely didn't need to see any more of either of them naked, she immediately charmed their clothes on. She quickly set about altering Malfoy's memory like she had done to Harry's. Within moments, she was done. _Damn, I am getting better at this every time I do it! Practice make perfect! _She chuckled to herself.

"I should have been in Slytherin. No Gryffindor would avoid their problems like this, but hell. It doesn't look like I have much of a choice." Ginny said to no one in particular as she peeked out of her door. _The coast is clear. _She levitated a still unconscious Malfoy from the compartment and quickly walked him to the loo.

She placed him roughly on the toilet. _Ha! The Slytherin Prince upon his throne! _She laughed out loud before she could stop herself. She undid the stupefy charm, and placed a short sleeping charm on him that would only last five minutes. _That gives me enough time to get back to Hermione._

Safely back in her own compartment, Ginny began to think. _Hmm, what to do, what to do? Let's think this through logically. There is no way in hell Hermione could have actually wanted Malfoy to… Eww! I don't want to even think it. After all these years of 'Mudblood this, mudblood that' from him, plus seeing Ron again for the first time in months, and this whole prophecy thing, I don't think she could take it. I guess I will have to fix this too, I mean this is what friends are for, right?_

After a few more moments of internal arguing, Ginny did what she decided was the right thing, and erased Malfoy's face from her best friend's memory.

As the sun slipped below the horizon, Hermione woke from the short sleeping charm, and the girls dressed in their school robes. Neither spoke, one from guilt, and the other from ignorance. When the train stopped, the girls waited until all was quiet in their car and then exited.

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

_Hogwarts, September 1st , 8:00 pm_

The last Thestral drawn carriage took them to the castle. When they finally made it to the castle, they had five minutes until the Sorting Ceremony ended and Dumbledore's speech began. They slipped into the Great Hall right after the last student, Capri Miller, was sorted into Slytherin, while the entire school looked on.

_Poor Girl! _Hermione thought to herself, as she sat at the end of her table, thankful her housemates' attention was focused somewhere else.

Dumbledore hadn't missed anything though. He had watched the two girls come into the Great Hall, unnoticed by all their peers. Their new appearances didn't fool him. He would know those two anywhere. Besides, he had kept his eyes on them all summer and he knew this year was going to be a year to remember, from start to finish. He cleared his throat to begin his start of term speech.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. As most of you are aware, the forbidden forest is, as the name would suggest, still forbidden to any students after nightfall without permission." Ginny's stomach began to churn as Dumbledore neared the part that included her. _I am not so sure I am ready for this. If I leave now, I won't have to face him. I can just put it off a little longer. Yes, that could work. _Then reality took over. _Things could be worse. He could remember what happened on the train. At least that is taken care of. All I have to do is stick to the idea that Hermione and I wanted to surprise him. Yeah, that is it. We wanted to surprise him._

"I would now like to introduce this year's prefects. As your names are called please come to the front to be recognized." As Dumbledore announced the prefects, two in each house, for Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, the students from those houses cheered madly for their housemates, who all but strutted to the front of the dais Dumbledore stood behind.

"The Slytherin prefects are Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson." Slytherin broke out into raucous cheers as Blaise moved indifferently towards the front. Pansy followed, but instead of the preening, twit-like behavior she had displayed the year before, her expression was neutral and aloof. _How strange, _Hermione thought, wonder what had caused the change.

She looked over at Ginny who looked nervous as hell. _Poor Ginny, I hope she is okay. All things considered, she looks great and she is going to knock 'em dead. _Ginny was about to shock the school with her transformation from Ron Weasley's baby sister to a divine entity, as far as this school was concerned.

"Your Gryffindor prefects are Harry Potter," the entire Gryffindor table erupted in applause as Harry stood and walked to the front of the Great Hall with the other prefects, "and Ginny Weasley."

The table looked near where Harry had been seated for Ginny, because she was always with the Golden Trio. But she wasn't there. The entire Great Hall went silent. While everyone had been looking at the front of the table, Ginny had already made her way halfway up her table, continuing to walk slowly to the front. Suddenly, all eyes were on her. Some of the younger students began whispering behind their hands.

Harry, who had been congratulating Luna Lovegood on getting Ravenclaw prefect, looked up when he heard Ginny's name being called. He hadn't seen her at all this summer. Then he realized that the Great Hall had gone silent. His eyes swept up the middle aisle to land on the stiletto clad feet of the angel walking toward him, he knew the person he saw coming towards him in the Gryffindor robes, was not the Ginny he once knew. It was the girl from his dreams. _Oh shit, oh damn. It was Ginny, from my dreams. _His mind raced._ Crap! I told Ron about my dreams. Dreams about his little sister! Oh Merlin, he is going to be furious! _

Under Harry's intense scrutiny, Ginny began to blush. _Yep, _Harry thought, _That is Ginny. Wait…that means…oh shit. The girl from the bookstore, the prophecy, wait there was another girl. Who was the other girl? _He thought for a moment and as Dumbledore began to announce the Head Boy and Girl, he gulped, and began to sweat nervously.

Harry looked over at Ron, who was still in shock over the fact that the girl before him was no longer recognizable as his baby sister._ Ron is going to be even more shocked in a few more moments, _Harry thought as he waited for the explosion_. _He turned his head back to Ginny who was now standing beside him and waited for the announcement that would overshadow the shock Ginny had just given the school.

_Interesting. Very Interesting. _Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled from behind his spectacles. Dumbledore smiled slightly, but no one noticed. The males were all looking at Ginny the same way a starving man looks at a steak. The females were less complimentary, many looked at her with pure envy, and many couldn't wait to find out what beauty charms she used. _Just wait until they see Miss Granger. There will be a riot, _Dumbledore chucked to himself.

"Your Head Boy this year is Draco Malfoy!" The old man watched as the young blonde all but strutted up to stand in front of the prefects. _Boy is he in for the shock of a lifetime. _"And your Head Girl, with the highest marks, second only to my own, Hermione Granger!"

Draco made a distasteful face. _Oh come on. It is bad enough that I have to live with her for the next year, but did you have to announce to the entire school that she got better marks than me! Now everyone knows that that frizzy haired, know it all, mud…._ Draco stopped walking because the Great Hall had gone silent. _It can't be that much of a surprise that I got Head Boy, _he thought tried to think of what could have taken the limelight from him.

Before he saw, his ears picked up on the seductive sound of stilettos clicking on the stone floor. _Stilettos? Who could be wearing stilettos? Surely not…_Draco's jaw dropped as he swung his body around to he see the Head Girl walking towards him. _No…_His mind couldn't even function properly. _Granger?_

Hermione was nervous as hell. Never had all eyes been on her like this. She felt as though she were naked. _Come on Hermione. Just breathe. Breathe in, breathe out. One foot in front of the other. Whatever you do don't look at Malfoy. _She focused on Dumbledore's podium, and made her way up to the front.

Hermione didn't even look at him. She looked past him, until she reached him, then she looked out over the silent student body. Like Draco, their jaws were all but touching the floor. The boys looked at her with lust, and the girls with pure venom.

In accordance with Hogwarts tradition, Malfoy reached for her right hand and brought it to his lips. His ice blue eyes locked with hers and he elegantly arched his eyebrow at her, as if in silent question.

Hermione dipped into a demure curtsy. _Shit! He remembers. I am so dead. Might as fight fire with fire. Gryffindors are known for their courage after all. _She gracefully, she rose back up and arched her brow to back at him in an obvious challenge. She even added a sexy smirk for effect. _Take that you Slytherin prat._

Behind them, Pansy loudly sucked in her breath, while Blaise looked on in shock that his best mate was still touching the mudblood. Ron was getting redder and redder by the moment, and Draco just smirked into Hermione's hand.

The old man knew he had to do something to prevent the battle he saw brewing between the two Heads.

"Let the feast begin!" Dumbledore clapped his hands and the feast appeared. He looked at the prefects and dismissed them. He smiled at the Head Boy and Girl. "When you get to your apartment, you must decide on a password together, and say it at the same time." He handed them each a piece of paper with the location of their new abode. "Congratulations and enjoy the feast!" He turned and left them.

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

Hermione tried to eat her supper, but she couldn't. She could feel his ice cold gaze piercing her from across the room. After another ten minutes of pushing the food around on her plate, she tried to slip from the room. Unfortunately, Draco watched her leave, rose and followed her.

She needed to escape. She needed to think. The Head Boy was going to kill her when he caught up with her. As Hermione stood outside the portrait of a fairy tale like landscape, catching her breath, she began to pace.

By the time Malfoy reached the hall that their common room was located in, he had thought of hundreds of ways to punish the Head Girl for tricking him. As he rounded the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks and closed his eyes. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up. His skin began to prickle and warm. The lust he had been feeling for his 'mystery girl' was coming back, strong and fast. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that Hermione was no less than ten yards away. He could feel her. _What is going on? I can't believe it was Granger I was lusting after. I can't have her. It isn't supposed to be like this. _He slowly opened his eyes anyway. He couldn't help it.

Hermione was still pacing. _How on earth am I supposed to get into this damned room? We have to say something in unison to set the password. Without him here I can't get in. With him here, I don't want to go in. SHIT!_

Malfoy couldn't take it anymore. He knew he had to have her, yet at the same time, he knew he couldn't. He also needed revenge for that little 'incident' in Paris. As his plan formed in his head, he rounded the corner and headed toward Hermione as fast as he could without running.

In the middle of her conversation with herself, Hermione heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Malfoy getting closer and closer to her, his black cloak billowing behind him. He looked like the devil himself.

"Malfoy…Wait…I can explain. Just…" Before she could finish, she was being backed into the door and his lips were on hers.

_It is perfect. Damn it! It isn't supposed to be this way. Come on Draco, you can do this, just back away. _Draco couldn't stop himself as his hands went straight for her waist. His fingertips dug into her hips as he lifted her up, without breaking the kiss. Hermione instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, as he pulled her closer. As her center touched his erection, they both let out twin groans of ecstacy and the door to the common room swung open.

He backed her into the wall of the hallway and separated from her before he became consumed by the flames he had just created. His breath was hot against her neck and his lips were inches from her ear when he whispered, "Payback."

Hermione opened her eyes to look into his steely grey orbs. "I beg your pardon?" She asked.

"Payback," he said simply. "P-A-Y-B-A-C-K. Payback. Would you care for a definition?" He asked with malice in his voice.

"No damn you, I don't. I would however like and explanation for what just happened." She said angrily.

Malfoy looked at her with a malevolent smile. He turned and began walking towards the door marked with an enchanted snake slithering across its expanse. "It is a shame you won't get one. Enjoy the password, mudblood."

"Password?" She said aloud to herself. She called out in question, "But we didn't say anything together?" Then she remembered what had happened right before the door had opened.

Malfoy smirked to himself. He was imagining her lovely face turning dark red in embarrassment, and to his immense pleasure he heard her cursing him all the way to her room. _She knew. I know she knew what she was doing, when she acted that way in Paris. How dare she? Well, at least I have the upper hand here. I know about the little prophesy. And that password, pure genius. Ha! If she thinks that was all, she has another thing coming. I will make her pay! _He went to bed with vengeance on his mind.

Hermione didn't know what to say to him. She knew he had every right to be angry with her. She deserved it, but the password trick was cold-blooded, pure and simple. _It's okay, _she thought to herself_, I'll get him back. Tomorrow._

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

_Gryffindor Tower, 10:35 pm, September 1st_

At the same time, in the Gryffindor tower, Ginny was struggling with her own emotions. She knew who he was, yet she risked their friendship by taking advantage of his ignorance. She looked up from her seat in one of the armchairs and glanced at Harry. His emerald eyes were unreadable. She left the common room before the tears began to fall.

Harry was trying to decide how he felt. Oh course he was upset that she knew who he was and didn't tell him, then again he wasn't exactly honest with her about what he knew. In his mind, they were even. He just didn't know how to tell her.

_*~*~*~*~*~*_

Heads Suite, 5:29 am, September 2nd

Hermione rose early the next morning as was her custom. Looking over at the clock, she realized it was 5:30. _Plenty of time to relax and enjoy myself. If I am lucky, and Malfoy is the lazy shit I think he is, I can take my time and be out of here by the time he wake up. Perfect, just perfect. _

She quietly crept to the kitchen, and began to look through the cabinet. Right beside a gas stove was a copper tea kettle. It looked like the one she had at home. She picked it up and filled it with water as she hummed a song by one of her favorite muggle musicians, Norah Jones. The melody of _Nightingale, _filled the small kitchen. While the water was heating, she searched for tea, a mug, a spoon, and some honey. One by one, she found everything she needed, from a crimson mug, to a container of Irish Breakfast tea. _Perfect. Aboslutely, perfect. Just what I was looking for._

As she reached the end of the tune, the kettle began to whistle. Hermione quickly removed the kettle from the eye and turned it off, before it woke up her suitemate. _Should have let it wake his sorry arse up. _She smiled to herself then frowned. _Then I would have to look at him. Nevermind. Let him sleep. _She let the tea steep and closed her eyes as the aroma wafted through her, filling her with pleasant memories of home. She removed the teabags and added a bit of honey.

Hermione took her drink and settled comfortably into a feminine gold armchair that sat next to a very masculine forest green (for lack of a better word) throne, in front of the fireplace. _That should suit is gigantic ego!_ She pulled a red pillow into her lap and curled her legs underneath her. As she sipped at her tea, she felt her body relax and the tension and anger leave her body, replaced by warmth and well being.

_Now I can think. Think calmly and cleverly on how to get Malfoy back._ Once again, as though someone was reading her mind, she heard a slight pop. Dobby, her favorite house elf appeared.

"Dobby! What are you doing here so early in the morning? Would you like some tea?" she asked pleased to see the elf.

The house elf looked lovingly at his favorite witch. "No Miss Hermione. I am just supposed to put this notice from the Headmaster on the door for you and Mr. Malfoy. That's all." Before Hermione could ask any other questions, Dobby disappeared, leaving the sealed parchment on the table next to her.

The Head Girl reached for the letter and broke the seal. By the time she finished reading, she already had a plan, and a smirk Malfoy would be proud of was spread evilly across her face. "Payback is a bitch Malfoy!"

She quietly crept to his bedroom door. "_Alohomora!_" _Thank Merlin these doors will open for me, even if I can't go in! I just have to be creative. "Accio Clock!" _The clock flew from Malfoy's nightstand right into Hermione's outstretched hands. She quickly figured out how to work his clock, and set his alarm to go off at 8:45 am. _Forty-five minutes after….well after. _She grinned broadly and levitated the clock back to his bedside.

After closing the door and locking it back, she hurried off to her room to get ready for the fireworks. She knew he would know it was her, but as far as she was concerned, she had drawn first blood for the day, and she couldn't be happier.

_Great Hall, 7:45 am, September 2nd _

Hermione breezed into the Great Hall. She felt great, and she looked great. Her dark brown curls were tousled, her make-up was flawless, and her robes clung to her curves in all the right places, sexy, without being slutty. Something Lavender Brown and her cosmetically driven cronies had never managed with or without magic. Her comfy flats tapped against the stone floor as she made her way to her seat, next to her best friend and partner in crime, Ginny.

"Look who decided to grace us with her presence! Not only that, but she looks pleased herself, like the cat that ate the canary. Wait…you didn't kill Malfoy in his sleep did you? Am I going to have to help you dispose of the body?" Ginny asked with a bright smile.

Hermione just smiled at her friend and grabbed a shiny red apple. "No, he is still alive." She took a bite out of the apple and chewed thoughtfully, relishing the day to come.

Ginny wasn't satisfied. "What did you do? You are going to have to tell me. I know you did something, it is written all over your face."

"You will just have to wait like all the others. Beside I didn't even touch his person, personally or with magic." Hermione took another bite. "So how did your night go? How upset was Harry? How did your brother take it?"

The blond hung her head. "He didn't even talk to me, Mione. He just looked at me as if I had killed Hedwig. I felt so bad I had to leave the room before I cried in front of him. I felt so damn guilty. I don't know about Ron though. At the feast, he turned red as a beet, but didn't say anything. I guess we will just have to wait and see." She felt something funny in her stomach and looked towards the door. "Speak of the devil."

Hermione turned to see Harry Potter in the doorway of the Great Hall. When his green eyes finally spotted them, he fixed an indifferent expression on his face and started towards them.

"Morning ladies. So nice to see that you didn't run from the very sight of me this lovely morning. I have grown _so_ used to seeing the back of your pretty heads, I almost didn't recognize you." His gaze was unchanging until he realized Ginny was close to tears. "Kidding guys, can't you two take a joke?" He smiled encouragingly at his two best female friends.

Hermione decided to speak for the both of them since Ginny didn't look like she could get out a coherent sentence. "Harry, we are so sorry. We didn't mean to hurt your feelings. We just wanted to surprise everyone, like we did last night. That is why we ran from you. I hope you understand."

Even though Harry knew better, he figured it would be easier on himself if he just played dumb. "I knew you two must have had a good reason for running away from me, even though I didn't know who you were. I mean it isn't everyday that two beautiful girls run and hide from 'The Boy Who Lived!' " He put an easy smile on his face. "So Hermione, did the Head Boy survive the night? The seventh year Gryffindors bet he wouldn't make through the night and to breakfast in one piece."

Hermione let out a throaty laugh. "I sure hope you bet a lot on me. Because unless someone intercedes for him, he will not be at breakfast this morning." She smiled as the color drained from Harry's face.

"Tell me you didn't kill him. Please tell me you didn't kill him. I don't know if I can get you out of Azkaban. I can see the headlines now, 'Gryffindor Princess brutally murders Slytherin Prince in his sleep.' Did you at least give him a fighting chance?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Don't worry. Like I already told Gin, he still breathes. There has been no physical damage inflicted. He will be just fine and I predict he will enter the Great Hall between approximately 8:50 and 9 o'clock am." Hermione smirked into her glass of milk. "And I bet he won't be happy."

Ginny cocked her head a bit to the left. "Didn't Dumbledore's message say there was a mandatory meeting in the Great Hall for all sixth and seventh years at 8 am?" She looked at Hermione, whose grin was getting bigger by the minute. "You are going to make him late on purpose, and have Dumbledore embarrass him in front of everyone aren't you?"

"Who me? I am the quite little bookworm who has never broken a rule in her life. I would never purposely reset the Head Boy's alarm clock to 8:45, knowing that his presence is requested in the Great Hall forty five minutes before that. Nope, not me. Must be someone else you know." She began to laugh, thoroughly pleased with herself.

Unbeknownst to her, the person she wanted to see the very least of all at that moment walked into the room. Harry spotted him over her shoulder and tried to tell him with his eyes that coming to sit with them at that moment wasn't the best idea in the world. As usual, Ron was oblivious to everything.

"Morning all." He said, as if nothing had changed. Hermione's laughter died instantly. "So, how is everyone?" He asked without looking up, since he was much more worried with what he was having for breakfast. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

To try to break the silence, Harry answered, "Fine. So what do you think of Ginny's new look?" He desperately hoped Ron wouldn't say something stupid. No such luck.

"Mum is going to be pissed." He said between bites of scrambled eggs and toast. "You cut your hair off." More eggs and toast. "And you dyed it." A sip of pumpkin juice. "I hope it isn't permanent." A link of sausage. "And those shoes. You look like a hooker." He finished off the pumpkin juice. "The entire male student body looked like they would jump you in an instant." Ron wiped his mouth. "Your display was an embarrassment to the family. You looked like a trollop"

Harry's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe Ron had just said that. If Ron wasn't his best mate, Harry probably would have hit him then and there. Ginny and Hermione looked a lot less forgiving. Whereas Hermione's icy anger was almost veiled from all, hidden in her eyes, Ginny's was bubbling over. Her entire body was tense, her face was red, and her fists were clenched. She looked like she was about to come across the table and beat the hell out of her brother.

Just as she was about to do just that, Lavender Brown sauntered up behind Ron. Her long hair fell seductively around face. Her make-up was on way too thick. Where Hermione and Ginny's robes were simply fitted and slightly lengthened, Lavender's reached her mid thigh and barely that far. Her blouse was unbuttoned, almost to the point of indecency. She pursed her over glossed lips and glared at Hermione, almost challenging her. Bending at the waist and flashing a fair amount of cleavage, she slowly wrapped her arms around Ron's neck and kissed him loudly. "Morning luv. Did you sleep well?"

Ginny was so shocked she couldn't even react. _What the hell did Lavender think she was doing?_ Ron had the nerve to say she looked like a whore. _Well if I am a whore, I don't even want to know what she would be considered._ How dare her brother allow his trashy girlfriend to act like this, and in public? Lavender squeezed in between Harry and Ron and all but wrapped herself around the redhead. _Eww! I don't even want to know where her hand is!!_

Ron leaned over and kissed her, then went straight back to his breakfast. After a few bites, he was about to open his mouth to address Hermione, when Dumbledore's voice was heard above the din of the breakfast chatter.

"Good Morning students. Everyone, except sixth and seventh years, are dismissed to go to their classes. Will everyone please leave the Great Hall for a few moments, you will need to be back in 5 minutes. Do not be late."

_Just in time._ Harry said to himself, as he and the rest of the student body left the Great Hall. _Ginny was about to kill her own brother in front of everyone. It is a shame that he deserved it. _

_*~*~*~*~*~*_


	9. PAYBACK

Chapter 9

P-A-Y-B-A-C-K

_Great Hall, 8:00 am, September 2nd _

At exactly 8 am, the doors to the Great Hall opened. The sixth and seventh year students who had been wondering, aloud, what was going on in the Great Hall were silenced. They walked in, all seventy-nine of them in shocked silence. They knew that anything was possible with magic, but this was different.

The Great Hall they knew and loved was gone. Not a trace of the familiar architecture was seen. In its place were eight cubical like structures. Each cubical represented a different room in a typical flat. A bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, washroom, dining room, living room, study, and an indoor garden space. There was no color. No decorations. It looked almost sterile.

Professor Dumbledore was actually shocked by the silence. He expected at least a little conversation, at least some whispering. "Would everyone please separate into your respective houses and separate by year."

The students did so quickly and quietly, still confused by what exactly was going on.

"Excellent. Now would each group please stand in front of a room, any room will do." Dumbledore said.

Again the students complied without speaking. there be a strong relationship between the muggle and magical worlds. As most of you know, we try to keep our world out of the muggle sphere. To promote this cooperation, high ranking muggle officials, with extremely open minds will be touring important magical sites.

"Now, I will explain all of this…" The wizard paused, as the students began to whisper among themselves. "Quiet please, so I can explain. As you can imagine, with the Dark Lord's return imminent, it is vital that you have as complete an education as possible when you graduate. The Ministry of Magic has begun to express some concerns about your education. After the First War, almost one fourth of the wizarding population was decimated with casualties on both sides. Many of those left behind were young witches and wizards much like yourselves. Their older experienced counterparts, teachers, and mentors were gone. They had to learn about life on their own with little to no guidance. The Ministry believes it is our duty here at Hogwarts to spare you that experience."

Many of the students began to look apprehensive. "Let's try something. I want you to close your eyes and imagine every adult that you look up to. You mother, your father, aunts and uncles. Think of all the things that they know how to do, that you don't. Imagine everything that they do for you. Now imagine that I called you here today to tell you they were dead."

Soft gasps were heard around the room. A few students, mostly Hufflepuffs, were tearing up.

The Headmaster's blue eyes looked sadly out on the students. "What questions would you ask? What have you not learned that you want to know? How many of you could care for a home and a family if you woke up tomorrow with a spouse and children to provide for?" The students began to look worried. Dumbledore walked up to the podium.

"The Ministry has approved a deviation from the regular Muggle Studies class. They have approved making the course mandatory for all sixth and seventh years. Grades will be based on attendance, participation, practical application, and personal journal entries. Each of our regular professors will take parts of the course and teach you from their own experience and area of expertise. One exciting part of this class is that it will also work towards inter-house unity!"

Several students groaned at this. Some pointed at students and made nasty faces. Irritated, Dumbledore slammed his fist, hard, down onto the podium. The room collectively jumped at his action. None of them had ever seen the Headmaster angry. "ENOUGH!" He bellowed. "This, this is the root cause of so many of our problems!"

"I want you all to close your eyes. Every single one of you that just had a negative thought or said something hurtful about a student from another house. Remember how you felt when I told you that your loved ones were gone." The room was again silent.

"Now imagine that the reason they are gone is your fault. Every hurtful word and nasty hex you send to a member of an opposing house contributes to the animosity between your houses. This animosity is carried on into your adult lives."

Many students looked skeptical. He stepped down and began to walk up and down the aisle between the two rows.

"Ahh, you don't believe me? Answer this question. How many times have you heard your parents or older siblings say disparaging comments about members of other houses? Hmm? Oh, there goes that weak Hufflepuff, that boastful Gryffindor, that sneaky Slytherin, or that arrogant Ravenclaw?" He looked out at the students. "Well, go on, raise your hands."

Almost every student raised their hand, ashamed and embarrassed.

"Do you understand what I mean, now?" Dumbledore continued walking up and down the aisle between the two rows of four cubicles. "I don't say this to punish you, but to make you aware of the consequences actions. A little house rivalry has its place, but not this all out battle we seem to have each year between the houses."

He turned and started up the row. "First and foremost, you are all students of Hogwarts. These four houses, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, were meant to give you a family to belong to while you were away from your families. They were meant to make you stronger, not weaker by your associations." He stopped for a moment and then walked up to the dais.

Hermione couldn't help but raise her hand. "Um, Headmaster. What exactly will we be learning to do in this class?"

"Excellent question, Miss Granger. This class will teach you how to live on your own without someone there to constantly help you, except your partner of course. You will learn both magical and Muggle methods of cleaning, cooking, budgeting, child care, and entering the work force. At the end of this year, you should be able to survive, alone, in either the magical or Muggle community. Does that answer your question, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, Headmaster." She replied.

Dumbledore smiled. "Now, this class is not only about what the Ministry of Magic wants you to learn. Owls have been sent to your parents this morning explaining the purpose of this class. I have asked them to make a list of things that they think you need to learn about life before leaving Hogwarts." Some students made faces. "But I also am going to include what you want to learn. For the next half an hour, I want you to go out into this glorious morning sunshine and thing about what you would need to learn if you were leaving Hogwarts tomorrow by yourself. I don't want you to talk to other students. I just want your own personal thoughts on the matter. Please be back at a quarter til nine."

He waved his wand at the doors and they opened. The students eagerly rushed outside, Hermione took her time, not wanting to get trampled in the stampede. She examined each of the rooms, taking mental notes of what was present and what was 'absent' in each replica. She hadn't noticed that the room was empty and she was alone until she heard the doors to the Great Hall quietly click closed.

She froze.

"Granger!" Malfoy bellowed as he quickly approached the Head Girl. "Don't move. Don't you dare move!"

Hermione didn't dare try to disobey him. In her excitement, she had forgotten about her little revenge on the Head Boy. It had all been dependent on the idea that he would come in when everyone was still here, and that he would be reprimanded by Dumbledore in front of everyone. Here she was. Alone. No Dumbledore. Nothing, but a royally pissed Malfoy.

Draco made his way to her in record time. When he reached her, he grabbed her shoulders roughly and turned her around to face him. "You changed my alarm on purpose, you ..twit! How dare you? You made me miss whatever this was." He released her and waved his arms at the theatre surrounding them. "Care to explain?"

Hermione was over her moment of fear, and remembered why she had done it. She smirked at him. "Payback. P-A-Y-B-A-C-K. Payback. Would you care to hear it used in a sentence?" She smiled in triumph. "The alarm was payback for the password last night."

Malfoy's jaw dropped. She had used his own words against him. He had to admit she had done a nice job with the changing the alarm thing. He hadn't been expecting it after all. But that didn't excuse her for what she had done. "The password was in retribution for the incident in Paris."

"And that was payback for years upon years of you calling me mudblood, and harassing me and my friends." She said just above a whisper. Hermione was having trouble reigning in her temper.

Malfoy looked thoughtful for a moment. "Okay then, all's fair in love and war, Granger."

Hermione cocked her head to the side and was about to respond, when the Headmaster came through the Great Hall doors. Draco dropped his hands from Hermione's body.

"Ahh, Mr. Malfoy!" He exclaimed as he walked towards the Head students. "I am so glad you could join us this morning!"

Draco was at a loss for words. "My alarm clock malfunctioned this morning."

Before the Headmaster could respond, Hermione interjected, "I was just telling Mal-Draco about our assignment. About making a list of things we feel we should know how to do before graduating, if our parents weren't around to teach and take care of us."

"Right!"

"And what do think of the idea?" Dumbledore asked, knowing both students were telling tales.

Draco stuttered. "I think I was brilliant sir. Truly inspired."

"_Arse kisser!" _Hermione said under her breath.

"What was that Miss Granger?" the old man asked, secretly amused with the situation.

Hermione blushed, trying to think of a reply. "I was just wondering about our partners. If we are going to be partnered with someone from another house for the duration, how will that affect our Head Duties and our living situation?"

"Very astute. You two will of course be partnered and continue in your current location. The interior of you apartment will be the only thing to change, so that it matches the set-up of the other students. Only a bit bigger, of course."

"Wonderful, Headmaster." Hermione replied quietly.

He grinned. "Of course, as Heads, I expect you two to be an example to the rest of the student body. Now, run along and make that list. You only have 10 minutes left!"

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Great Hall, 10 minutes later, September 2nd_

As the last of the stragglers entered the Great Hall, the Headmaster motioned them closer. "Now for the exciting part! I would like for you to tear your names off of your assignments." The students hesitated. "Go on, just tear your name off of the parchment."

The sound of ripping parchment filled the room. "Good, good. Now I need for all of you to form a line." Everyone reluctantly complied.

"Now, I would like for you to place your names into this basket…" He stopped. "Oh, dear. I seem to have left both baskets in my office." He shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. Could anyone lend me two pieces of parchment?" Hermione quickly handed him the parchment. He thanked her and transfigured them into two baskets.

"Wonderful. If you would now please step forward, placing your names in this basket," he indicated the one on his right, "and your suggestions in this basket," he finished indicating the larger one on his left. "Tomorrow morning, your room assignments will be delivered by owl. You will receive a key and a map to your new quarters. You and your partner will have to chose your own password. Directions for password selection will be included in your post. Your things will already be in your rooms. Your first task will be to get used to your partner and their habits."

"Oh, and in the future, this class will be held only twice a week for an hour and a half after supper. When you are done, you may leave, as your first class should be starting in a few minutes."

*~*~*~*~*~*

The rest of the day seemed to drag on and on for Hermione. Malfoy had done everything he could to avoid her. In the classes they shared, he stuck to his place in the back of the room, arriving late, and then rushing from the room as soon as the class was dismissed. For Hermione, it was paradise. With a huge drawback of course… She had no idea what he was up to.

Malfoy on the other hand was enjoying his prelude to his revenge. He loved how she seemed uncomfortable. It was like someone had put itching powder on her chair. She couldn't hold still. He was just biding his time until he actually acted on his plan.

As the students gathered in the Great Hall for dinner, the Headmaster watched from his spectacular view. He watched the situation between his Heads brew. This project needed two people with a great deal of animosity towards each other, yet also a great deal of fire. He loved the Head Girl. She was clever, but sometimes she seemed too reserved. He wanted her to blossom. She needed that edge. After listening to the exchange between the Hermione and Malfoy earlier, he had waited all day to see the tension between them come to a boiling point. Instead, they had done nothing but avoid and ignore each other.

Peeves, Hogwarts'_ favorite_ spirit-like anomaly appeared next to Professor Dumbledore's current position. "Ah, enjoying the feast? Just watch and see what happens next." Peeves pointed at the Slytherin table.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Across the room, Malfoy stood up with his two favorite goons and went to sit next to a lonely looking first year Slytherin.

_Hmm. _Thought the professor. _I wonder what he is doing. _No sooner had he completed his thought, than he was rewarded with an answer. While Draco talked to the younger boy, one of his rotund companions poured something in the younger boy's drink. The Grey Lady appeared beside the Headmaster. Horrified, she whispered, "Shouldn't we do something. What did he put in that boy's drink? Is it going to hurt him?"

Peeves and the recently materialized Bloody Baron just snickered. "It isn't for the boy. Just watch!"

The young Slytherin walked towards the Gryffindor table holding his drink, heading for a classmate who had just walked in. Taking the long way, just as he reached were Hermione sat, he tripped, his drink splashing all over the Head Girl.

"Eww, eww. What is this?" Hermione shrieked as she stood trying to wipe off whatever liquid covered her blouse. The entire Great Hall looked at Hermione, their laughter barely contained. All of the sudden, her shirt began to shrink, until it barely covered her chest, exposing her flat stomach and a lacy black bra. Hermione was mortified. In front of half the school, she was left in nothing but her low slung school skirt and her bra. She looked down and even her tattoo was exposed.

Over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy and his companions were howling with laughter. Hermione cut her eyes at them, and Professor Dumbledore saw the recognition in her eyes.

Ginny quickly removed her cape and threw it over Hermione's shoulders. "Merlin! What on earth happened? One moment, you were covered in.." she sniffed the air, "pumpkin juice, and then your shirt disappeared, as quickly as it shrunk!" She glared at the other students.

She was well known for her terrible Weasley temper, as well as her signature Bat Bogey Hex. Suddenly the Great Hall was very quiet. "Come on Hermione. Let's get out of here." She put her arm around her best friend and they started towards the doors. A loud snicker pierced the silence. "The Gryffindor Princess is a prude after all!"

Hermione froze.

Slowly she turned and started walking towards the Slytherin table. She didn't even stop to look at the professors' table. She didn't care. As she passed the Ravenclaw table, she let the cloak slip from her shoulders and pool on the cold stone floor. A collective gasp came from the student as she continued towards her destination. Silence fell on the hall, broken only by the click of stilettos tapping seductively on the stone. Shoulders back, head held high, she reached the Slytherin table. The students sitting in front of where she stood scrambled out of her way. She bent over the table, sweeping the empty plates and cups out of the way, some of it falling in Malfoy's lap. He didn't move. Bracing against the table she leaned in towards him pausing mere inches from his ear. "This is by no means over, Malfoy. If you wanted to know what my undergarments looked like, all you had to do is ask." She backed up and glanced at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Hand it over boys. Hand me whatever it was that did this to my shirt." The coldness in her eyes, convinced the boys that doing whatever the angry topless girl in front of them was the best plan. Goyle reached his pocket and flicked the clear vial at Hermione. Smoothly, she popped the lid off and it landed, spinning, right in front of Malfoy, who watched the last of the clear liquid drip onto her low riding school skirt. "Oops!" she said innocently. She tossed the vial back to Goyle who caught it just as she turned to walk away from the table, her skirt disappearing by the second. "Satisfied?" She asked loudly as her skirt shrunk into nothingness. Moments later, she was gone, leaving a speechless Malfoy in her wake.

He was not satisfied.

*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: This goes out to my faithful reviewer lucyferr who has reviewed every chapter and keeps me laughing!!


	10. The Great MixUp

Chapter 10

The Great Mix-Up

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_Great Hall, 8:03 am, September 3nd_

The tension in the Great Hall was palatable, for the sixth and seventh years at least. Three minutes earlier, Dumbledore had dismissed the 1st through the 5th years. Those that remained sat huddled up together by house and then year, whispering quietly amongst themselves. None were naïve enough to believe they would get to stay with a member from their own house. They all just sat and waited for that flurry of wings that drop their worst fears in their laps.

The Headmaster was much more optimistic which was of course nothing new. He looked at this pet project of his as an excellent plan to integrate the members of other houses and try to eliminate the house rivalries that had served as grassroots for the prejudice that followed so many of his former students in their post-Hogwarts lives. Dumbledore smiled to himself as eighty plus owls flew into the Great Hall. _They are in for a rude awakening!_

He watched them bite their lips in anticipation as shaky hands broke the seals. He watched their eyes scan the parchment avidly searching for their new partners. He almost chuckled aloud as they groaned with frustration, when they realized they had only been given a key and direction to their new homes.

"Professor!" Harry shouted from his seat at the Gryffindor table. The chatter died down immediately.

"Yes, Harry?" The old man replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Why do our letters not have our new dorm mate's name on them?" He queried.

The Headmaster smiled broadly. "Didn't you read your letter, Harry?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, yours says the exact same thing as all of the rest." He began to recite the wording he had so carefully chosen the night before "_Dear Whomever_," The old man began. "_This letter is to inform you of your new residence. The enclosed map will guide you to your new abode. When you reach the door to your new home, this parchment will transfigure into a key. Use the key to open the door to your common room and then to unlock your door. It doesn't matter which one you choose, as they are identical. After you have unlocked your bedroom door, you may set a personal password. Once you and your roommate are inside your apartment and have selected your password for your private quarters, your parchment keys will disappear. You will then be able to set a password for your apartment, together. All you have to do is agree on a password and say it at the same time. Please follow your directions to your new home and follow the aforementioned instructions, to receive full credit for today's assignment. You have half an hour to do so and return to receive your assignments for class tomorrow. Sincerely, Albus P.W.B. Dumbledore, Headmaster._" He looked up and saw the humored smirk on Hermione's face. _At least someone was amused by my response._

After a minute had passed and no one had moved, the Headmaster shook his head. "Well, what are you waiting for?" He asked and began shooing them with his hands, "Go on, get out of here!"

At first they moved slowly, but then, like a stampede of wild animals, they began to run from the Great Hall, leaving behind Dumbledore and the two head students.

"Headmaster," Hermione started. "Why are you looking like the cat that ate the canary? You are up to something." She thought for a moment. "What have you done?"

The old man looked sheepish. "Nothing more than I have already said."

Draco looked at the old man, who in his opinion was one flavored bean short of a whole box. "How did you pair off the students?" He asked the question that to him seemed obvious.

"I paired them with the one student from another house that they got along with," he paused, "the least," he finished nonchalantly.

"Oh, no!" Hermione exclaimed. "Please tell me you didn't!"

"Didn't what?" Draco demanded.

"I did."

"Where are they?" She asked quietly.

"Two floors below, and two floors above, you and Mr. Malfoy in the Astronomy Tower." Dumbledore replied non-plussed.

"We have to go Malfoy." Hermione said as she grabbed his cloak and began dragging him out of the Great Hall.

He in turn jerked his cloak out of her hands. "What is the meaning of this, Granger?" He bellowed at her as she continued to head towards the Astronomy Tower.

"_We_, are going to the Astronomy Tower before one of our best mates is maimed or killed by the other." She said as she began to pick up speed.

Draco jerked still for a moment and then jogged to catch up to the Head Girl. "Who?"

Without stopping or even slowing down, Hermione answered him with a question. "Who are your best mates, Malfoy?"

"Blaise and Pansy of course!" He said indignantly.

"And who are my best mates?"

"Potty and the Weasel…," he stopped when she turned and cut her eyes at him. "…lette, Weaslette, Granger. Geesh! Can't you let a man finish a sentence!"

"And who, present company excluded, do they despise above everyone else?" She asked, leading him slowly towards the answer.

"Each other," he whispered. "Shit, Granger! We have to go faster!" He grabbed her and dragged her all the way to the ground floor. They reached the first floor of the Astronomy Tower in record time and faced the first door.

"Who is in this one?" He asked, looking at the portrait of a witch stirring a bubbling cauldron with one hand and shooting colorful sparks from her wand with the other.

"How is Parkinson with potions?" Hermione asked, pulling out her wand from within her cloak.

Draco drew his as well, as he answered. "Quite good actually."

"Then it is Pansy and Ginny." She decided easily. "Alright, when I open this door, you go first and then I'll follow. Then…"

"Why do I have to go first? What if Red hits me with that Bat Bogey Hex of hers? I like my bogies exactly the way they are!"

"You are such a girl! Fine, I'll go first."

"But, if you go first and Pansy throws a hex your way and you get hit, then Dumbledore will…"

"Shut it, ferret! We will go in together. If they are dueling, you disarm Parkinson and I will disarm Ginny."

"Okay."

"Ready?" She asked. He nodded. "One, two, THREE!" She threw open the door.

Both Heads were shocked to see Pansy sitting rather serenely on the sofa and Ginny in the kitchen making two mugs of tea.

"What are _you _doing in _here_?" Pansy asked in a bored tone as she filed her nails.

Ginny looked at the two of them poised as if for battle. "Is everything okay?"

"Are you two okay?" Hermione asked. "We were worried the two of you would have maimed each other by now."

"How wasteful." Pansy said rolling her eyes. "Red and I immediately sized each other up when we realized we were going to be roommates. We both know that she could hex me seven ways to Sunday, and I could poison her meals with little effort, so we agreed not to irritate each other for the duration. If a problem arises, we will talk it out like adults."

Draco looked shocked for a moment before he turned to leave the girls.

Hermione looked awed. "Are you sure everything is alright in here Ginny?"

"Everything is fine, we were just going to have tea and talk about the weather, as there virtually no other topic we could touch on that wouldn't cause problems."

Hermione followed Draco out and they headed up the stairs. Before they even reached the landing they could hear the feminine shrieks and howls.

"You get the Slytherin.." Hermione started.

"…and you'll get the Gryffindork, I mean 'dor. Gryffindor." He smirk as she smacked him with her left hand.

When they opened the door covered by a portrait with a young witch preening into a mirror as she tried out different beauty spells, they were startled by the destruction. The plain beige couch was overturned and the pillows were nowhere to be seen. The kitchen table was askew, only one chair was still standing and another was missing a leg.

"Gryffindor bitch!" The sound of a sound slap hitting flesh caught their attention.

They both ran to the kitchen. On the other side of the island were Lavender Brown and Daphne Greengrass, the self-proclaimed beauties of their respective houses, rolling around on the kitchen floor in a tangle of torn robes. They were an absolute mess.

"Slytherin whore!" Came the reply with an equally vicious slap.

Lavender Brown had one hand in the once golden hair of her nemesis, which now looked like a calico cat had taken up residence, while she used her other hand to slap the Slytherin girl. "_Petrificus Totalus_!" she shouted which was quickly followed by a "_Stupify_!" from the Head Boy. Hermione felt oddly pleased when Lavender's motionless form collided with the hard stone floor. _Malfoy must be rubbing off on me._

"What on earth is in her hair?" Draco asked as he bent down. "Strawberry jam, flour, mustard, and…" he pushed a white shell embedded in his housemate's hair. "Eggs?"

Hermione laughed. "She gave as good as she got. Brown has grape jam, pumpkin butter, yogurt, and sugar cubes and a black eye! I think Greengrass won this round, Malfoy!" She grabbed her aching sides as she laughed some more, when she noticed Lavender's furious eyes looking up at her from her full body bind.

"Are you alright, Granger?" Draco asked, slightly worried that Hermione had lost her mind. _Which would really be a waste. _He stopped. _Where in Hades did that come from?_

Before he had a chance to continue his private dialogue with himself, Hermione righted herself and headed for the door. "Come on Malfoy, we have to go discover what other surprises await us!" She called from the door rather jovially.

They passed by their common room and continued up the stairs to the 4th floor. Just as they were about pass the door with the portrait of a game of quidditch being played, they heard two loud thuds. They looked at the portrait and then at each other.

"Ron."

"Nott." They said at the same time.

"Let's just check and make sure they aren't dead." Hermione said exasperated as she opened the door.

As expected Ron Weasley and Theodore Nott were motionless on the floor, their bodies frozen in dueling poses. "Hit them again, just in case they might wake up." She said as she walked out the door.

"With pleasure!" Draco said, quickly casting light versions of the spell, just in case the two dunderheads had actually cast the spells with too much force. He closed the common room door and hurried to catch up with Hermione just as she reached the 5th floor landing.

"It's too quiet." She said worriedly.

"Yeah." He pondered the best way to enter the possible war zone. "Okay Granger, here is what we are going to do." He started and then laid out their entry strategy. "What do you think?"

"Excellent. On your count." She whispered and took her position at the right side of the door frame.

Draco crouched on the left side, his pale hand reaching for the handle. He looked at Hermione. "One, two, three." On three, he threw the door open so that it slammed against the inside wall.

What they didn't get to see was the two boys circling each other like great cats about to strike. They did however get to see blood red spark of _"Sectumsempre!"_ and bright silver sparks of "_Exuro Penitus!"_ hit the wall behind where the two of them would have been standing if not for Draco's foresight.

They quickly leaned into the doorway and cast simultaneous "Incarcerous!" spells toward their surprised targets. As thick ropes appeared from thin air, effectively binding them, Hermione quickly summoned the bound boys' wands.

"Bastard!" yelled Blaise as he struggle against his bonds. It was the first time she had seen the dark skinned boy react with anything other than indifference

The blonde in turn crossed the room in two strides and slapped him with every ounce of strength he could summon. Hermione was about to cross the room and pull Malfoy away, when a shake of Harry's head stopped her. He mouthed, "Leave them be," and she complied. _For now._

"What the _fuck_ were you thinking Blaise!" Draco hissed at his best friend as he began to pace. "If you had hit _anyone _with that spell you would be in Azkaban, you fool, awaiting the Kiss!" He stopped and got right in Blaise's face. "It that what you were aiming for?"

Blaise's dark scowl slowly left his face and was replaced with a look of supreme indifference.

Hermione hated how he could look so nonchalant. It made her blood boil. "Look you two, I know you don't give a tinkers damn about each other. We could even go so far as to say you hate each other so much you wouldn't piss on the other if he were covered by fiendfyre." She could feel Malfoy smirking behind her. "But what you damn well will do from now on is be peaceful. I am not saying you have to be best friends and share your deepest darkest secrets over tea, but this will be the last violent outburst from the both of you." She put her hands on her hips and for a moment felt like she was channeling Molly Weasley. "You will not say one derogatory remark about your new flat mate. And you had better believe if I ever come upon scene like this again, I will not stop until you are both expelled and thrown into Azkaban for at least a year!"

Harry smirked thinking she was directing this rant towards Zabini. Oh, how wrong he was.

"What are you smirking at, Potter? Weren't you listening? I distinctly remember Granger including you in that entire rant!" Draco said before he turned to Blaise. "And best friend or not, Zabini, if you cross the line again, I will not lift a finger to stop her."

"Come on, Malfoy. Let's go back to our rooms. I am exhausted from dealing with the combined stupidity of both our houses." Hermione said as she walked out of the room.

Malfoy followed her without removing the binds.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the pairings. Sorry for the long time between updates. Finals, traveling, and birthdays. Not to mention trying to come up with thesis ideas!

Coming up next time: I am not sure, but I am positive it will be interesting!


	11. The Truth in a Touch

Chapter 11

The Truth in a Touch

*~*~*~*~*~*

_Heads Common Room, 1:15 am, September 5__th_

_It has been one hell of a day, _Draco thought as walked into his common room after rounds. _I have never had to deal with so many petty brawls and catfights in my life. Hell, I didn't even know that many fights broke out in a single year here! _He dropped his bag on the white carpet next to his white armchair. He curled his lip in disgust as he lowered himself into the plush seat. _All this bloody white is driving me insane! _he complained to himself as he plopped into the chair. "_Apaca la loose_!" he whispered, thankful when the room was shrouded in darkness. _Anything is better than all of that harsh white!_

He sat there alone watching the fire as the flames died down leaving red hot coals in the grate. _Much better. Thank Merlin, I don't think I can handle anything else tonight. _

A sliver of light caught his attention. It was coming from the Head Girl's bedroom. _I wonder what she is up to, _he wondered to himself. _She is probably having a late night cup of tea, _he turned to peek into the kitchen. _She sure does drink a lot of tea. _When his eyes found her form in the dimly lit room, his breath caught. He watched from his darkened vantage point as Hermione stepped into their kitchenette swathed in something black. _And short._ _I should know better than to say things like that. _Her short curly hair was mussed. _She looks so damn sexy! Note to self, make sure everything Granger needs for her midnight tea is on the top shelf! _He ran his pale fingers through his hair. _Where the hell did that come from?_

_Think unsexy thoughts! Sprout in nothing but Mandrake leaves. McGonagall in a bikini. Dumbledore in a Speedo! Please Merlin, anything but Granger in short black nightie that is inching up her creamy, toned thighs… _He closed his eyes. _Please let it all be a dream. _When he opened his eyes, she was, thankfully, filling the teapot with water.

He readjusted himself, before he went to the kitchen. _ I can't have her thinking I was spying on her._ He watched her measure tea into the diffuser as he got closer. "Evening, Granger." He drawled, his voice sending shivers down her spine.

Hermione tried to hold her hands steady. _Where did he come from? _"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Would a glass of tea be too much to ask for?" He said sweetly.

She fought the shivers his voice caused, again. "No." She started to reach for another mug.

"PLEASE!" He shouted, as her nightie started to glide upwards. He watched her jump. "Let me get that for you." _I don't think I can handle seeing any more of your legs tonight, _he said as he grabbed the mug. "Here, Hermione."

Hermione looked at him oddly as she took the mug from him, her eyebrow rose in question. "Why are you being so nice to me all of the sudden?"

He froze. "I…um. It's just been a long day, Granger."

"So, it's back to Granger is it?"

"Would you prefer Hermione?"

"Yes, and I would like to call you Draco. It would be a good idea if we modeled the standards we expect the others to strive for. Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, Hermione."

"Good. Promise to play nice in front of the other children?" She asked offering him her hand.

He looked at her with a smirk, "Promise."

He took her hand.

*~*~ *~  
"_Macha, I swear to you, I won't say a word." The thin man with the white blonde hair grabbed her hand. She looked into his eyes and wanted to believe him. He brushed her long dark curls from her forehead and kissed her cheek. "As soon as the sun begins to set, I will be home, with you and our babe." He placed a hand on her rounded stomach._

"_If you betray me, my beloved, you will never see us again." Macha said seriously to her husband. "Just don't mention me to anyone. Please." She moved a stray blond hair out of his eyes. "I love you, more than you can imagine." _

_As he turned to leave, he looked into her tear filled eyes. "I promise."_

The tea kettle began to whistle. Hermione was visibly shaken, but quickly withdrew her hand. "The tea." She said simply and turned to finish making the two mugs of tea. Hermione left his on the counter and disappeared into her room without a word.

Draco was ghostly pale. He grabbed his tea and walked to his room and closed the door behind him. _What in the hell just happened?_ He sat down at his desk and quickly penned a note to Potter. They needed to talk and it couldn't wait until Saturday.

_Tomorrow, Midnight, M_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_Hallway Outside Ginny & Pansy's Common Room, September 5th, 1:15 pm_

Ginny was on her way back to new 'flat.' Luna had invited her to study with her for their Potions project. Any excuse was a good excuse to escape from her new roommate. _This Muggle Studies class is going to be pure hell!_ She was struggling with her thoughts when a voice called to her through the darkness.

"Damn, scroll. Damn Snape," Harry muttered as he struggled with an armful of books and scrolls filled with spells he was supposed to study before their next lesson in a week. _Snape is so frustrating. _Most of the time, it seemed Snape was just waiting for him to fail, to chastise him. Humiliating him. Then, occasionally he seemed to genuinely care. It was very confusing. He didn't even see Ginny.

Ginny saw his heavy load and couldn't help herself. She stood and gracefully crossed the hall, "Can I help you with that Harry?" Her fingers reached for his arm.

Without thinking he hotly replied, "I don't need your help."

Her fingers touched his arm.

*~*~*~  
_She watched the hero in his element; his green eyes went wild with fury as the battle rage tore through his body. Rivulets of blood dripped down his lean form and fell onto the already abused earth. The gore and carnage was everywhere. The woman licked her lips as she looked on. His black hair clung to his sweat soaked forehead as his sword dug deeply into an opponent's sinewy thigh. Another swift stroke and the stranger's head was cleanly severed from his body. _This warrior is worthy of my attention, _she thought to herself as she flew towards the earth from her lofty perch. Mid-air, she began to transform into one of her many forms. A maiden._

_As she neared the ground, her slender white feet dug into the cool soil. Her red tipped black plumage transformed into a feathery cape, covering her slim, pale body. Wild red hair framed a delicately deceptive face. Beneath her cape, she was nude._

_Her eyes searched for the warrior and finally spotted the mortal bathing in a stream near the battle field. "Greeting, Great Warrior." she said seductively as she entered the icy water. Nearing the large man, she cupped her hands and filled them with clean water. "Let me help you." she whispered near his ear. He didn't even acknowledge her and continued rinsing away the blood, the tainted blood streaming down his battle hardened form and into the stream. Watching the path of the water as it traveled south from his dark head, she felt her skim warm with lust. Never had any male, mortal or god, caused her to react so. _

"_I watched over you in battle, warrior." she said boldly as she watched the man don his clothes. "I wish to offer you a gift."_

_Green eyes seemed to pierce right through her soul. "What gift can you possibly offer me, girl?" _Cúchulainn_ asked cockily._

"_I have been watching you throughout each of your battles. You have impressed me with your strength and valor and I wish to offer you my love." Morrigan answered, reaching out her arms to him._

_He roughly pushed her outreached hands away, "I have better things to do with my time than worry with a maiden's love."_

"_While watching you in combat, I have also help keep you safe, ensuring your victory. I will continue to help you, if only you will return my love." She said in a frustrated voice, her hair beginning to fly in as the wind began to howl._

_He scoffed at her reply. "I do not need help in battle. Especially from a mere woman."_

_The goddess' eyes turned blood red as her fury rose "If you will not have my love and help, then you shall have my hatred and enmity" she said._

_Cúchulainn drew his sword to attack the woman, but before he could, he turned into a crow with red tipped feathers. He knew he had made a grave mistake._

A mighty rumble of thunder shook the air. Harry flinched. Ginny opened the door and shut it coldly in his face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
_Quidditch Pitch, Hogwarts, September 5th, 1:05 am_

"Mmmm," sighed a student, as the tremors from her orgasm thread their way through her body. She smiled to herself in the darkness as her mind when back over her recent lovemaking session. "I love you." She breathed, barely above a whisper. A cool rush hit her body, as her lover rose from their pallet in the shadows of the Quidditch pitch. "Where are you off to so soon, love?" she asked.

The boy shook his head. "I shouldn't have been here. _We_ shouldn't have done this again." He stood and began to dress.

"What do you mean? This was all your idea. From the beginning. You swore you loved me. I would never have let this go so far, had I known you didn't think _we_ should do this." She quickly shimmied into her dress.

He smiled at her. "What, did you think? You would shag me for a few months, pull me into your bed and trap me into marriage? Not likely." He picked up his shoes and slipped it on. "Maybe you should go."

She picked up one of his shoes and threw it at his head. "You sorry pureblooded git! How dare you insinuate I would trap you. After all I have done for you! All I asked for was your love." She stood and reached the door. "Apparently it was too much to ask!"

"You harpy!" He hissed. "Thank Merlin my girlfriend is not such a nag!"

The girl froze. _Your girlfriend. _Thunder clapped, and a streak of lightning lit up the sky behind her. _Girlfriend. _"You rotten, acromantula sucking, bastard!"she whispered. "You will regret this!" she screamed as the thunder struck again. "If it is the last thing I do, you will regret this!"

_"You bastard!" Badb whispered. She had spent the day gathering herbs for her healing arts. She had gotten ill and went to the wise woman in the glen. She had come to tell her husband the news. She was pregnant. Finally._

"How could you not see this coming, you harpy?" Neit responded cooly. He pointed to her things, neatly piled outside the stone gate of their castle. "Get your things and go. My new wife is arriving at dawn."

"Why my love, why?" she wailed in sorrow and fury. "I have always loved you. Since our marriage, your holdings have increased tenfold. Why would you replace me?

He looked at her coldly. "I need a fresh young wife to give me strong sons. Ten years, we have been married, and not even so much as a miscarriage! I need sons to carry on my name." He pointed at her things. "Get your things and be gone." He said in an icy tone. "I never want to see you again."

Sobbing, Badb gathered her things and disappeared into the stormy night. "You will regret this!" she whispered as lightening lit up the sky. "If it is the last thing I do, you will regret this!"  
*~*~*~


	12. Secrets Unveiled

Chapter 12

Secrets

~*~*~*~*~*~

_Prefect's Bathroom, Fifth Floor, September 7th, 11:36 pm_

After Ginny had all but run from the common room, Harry had decided he needed a cold shower. _No, scratch that, an icy bath!_ He gathered his things and headed to the prefects bathroom. He turned the knob with the sapphire jeweled 'C' and let it run while he stripped. Still in shock from the 'touch' as he was now referring to it, he thought about what had happened. He had been so frustrated. She had been throwing herself at him. Yes, he had wanted her, but he was so afraid she would have been hurt or worse, so he had pushed her away. Harry stepped into the icy water.

_*~*~*~_

_One moment, he had been in a battle for his life, and in the next, he was standing in a waist deep stream, washing away the day's carnage from his body. He was exhausted._

"_Greeting, Great Warrior." He had heard. He looked up and saw a beautiful maid. Her feathery black cape contrasted with the creamy white of her nude form. Fiery red hair fell in waves down her back. She entered the frigid water and he noticed her rosy pink nipples perked up. "Let me help you." she whispered near his ear. _

_He didn't know what to do. He was dangerously aroused, but exhausted from his earlier endeavors. He didn't even acknowledge her and continued rinsing away the blood, the tainted blood streaming down his battle hardened form and into the stream._

_He began to dress, as the red haired woman watched intently. "I watched over you in battle, warrior.I wish to offer you a gift." She had finally said._

_He looked right into her blue eyes. Every bit the warrior, he asked her cockily, "What gift can you possibly offer me, girl?"_

_She smiled, humored by his response. "I have been watching you throughout each of your battles. You have impressed me with your strength and valor and I wish to offer you my love." she had replied, reaching out her arms to him._

_He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to take this girl after the heat of battle. He could kill her. The icy water had not cooled his blood enough. He roughly pushed her outreached hands away, "I have better things to do with my time than worry with a maiden's love."_

"_While watching you in combat, I have also help keep you safe, ensuring your victory. I will continue to help you, if only you will return my love." The woman said, almost begging him with her eyes and lips._

_He scoffed at her reply. "I do not need help in battle. Especially from a mere woman."_

_"If you will not have my love and help, then you shall have my hatred and enmity" she screamed at him._

_He drew his sword to defend himself against the woman, but before he could, the woman had disappeared, leaving behind a crow with red tipped feathers._

_*~*~*~_

_What was a guy to do?_ Harry thought to himself. He let the water out of the tub and carefully made his way to the shower. He turned the knob, and steam filled the space. Stepping into the warmth, he sighed deeply.

*~*~*~

_Harry stood a little off into the distance. It was almost like being in a penseive. He watched the man from the last vision, the dying rays of the sun filtered through the leaves of the oak tree as he slumbered. Harry could feel the heat on his skin. He watched the same red tipped raven fly down and land near the sleeping man's head. Slowly she transformed back into her maiden form._

_In human form, the girl leaned down over the man and softly kissed his rough lips. Harry couldn't help but watch as she crawled on top of him, leaving behind her feathery cape. Huge muscular arms wrapped around her nude form slowly stroking her from creamy shoulders to rounded bum. As the red haired woman began to grind against his center, Harry watched as the sleeping man seemed to come to life. His gentle explorations became more vigorous and purposeful. Instead of shrinking away, the woman began to match him thrust for thrust, scratch for scratch. He watched this powerful mating in wonder. He didn't know it could be like this. It seemed the burly man would break her slender form easily, but it appeared the woman was made for this._

_Harry couldn't take his eyes from the couple, as she screamed his name and he roared his passion as though it came from their very souls. He fell back onto the soft grass fast asleep, as the vixen rose from his sleeping body. She waved her hand over him, and Harry could feel the magic in the air. After magically cleaning and dressing her lover, she transformed back into her raven form and left him there as though nothing had happened._

*~*~*~

_Whoa! _Harry thought as he stepped out of the shower. _That is officially the strangest thing that has happened to me tonight!_

_Boys Dormitory, Gryffindor Tower, September 7th, 12:20 am_

Harry tried to sneak quietly into his room, but to no avail. Ron sat up, wide awake, looking thankful for Harry's presence.

"Where in the bloody hell have you been?" Ron asked, favoring a badly scratched hand.

Harry looked at him strangely. "Taking a shower?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, thank Merlin you are finally here. I came in about ten minutes ago and this bloody creature started pecking at the window. For five minutes straight! I opened the window and tried to get the letter so that it could go back to the owlery, but it wouldn't let me. Pecked the bloody fire out of me!" Ron showed Harry his battered hand for emphasis.

Harry looked at the black owl, as Ron retreated into his bed, and pulled the curtains closed. A piece of folded parchment was attached to his left leg. Crossing the room, Harry swiftly untied the emerald string, giving the bird a treat and some water that he pulled from his bedside table. Unfolding the note, he read the elegant masculine script.

_P-_

_Something odd happened with G. Tomorrow, noon._

_M._

_If it was anything like my night, we are going to have a lot to talk about. _Harry thought as he "Incendio'ed" the message. He crawled into bed and was soon asleep. For a little while anyway.

~*~*~*~*~*~

_Shrieking Shack, September 6th, 10:05 am_

Draco Malfoy stood in the center of the Shrieking Shack. _For a place so hard to get into this place sure is a dump! _He thought to himself. Boarded windows and doors hid, a ravaged interior. What was left of the furniture was covered by stains and scratch marks. _What did the previous owners keep in here? Wild animals? _It looked to Draco like someone had let a pack of dogs loose inside. It smelled and was covered in dust and filth. "Well, if Potter and I are going to use this _shack _as a war room so to speak, there is no way a Malfoy would even consider sitting on any piece of furniture in this place!"

The downstairs flooring was transformed, removing the scratches on the wooden floorboards and leaving behind gleaming oak. The pealing wall paper disappeared leaving behind dark blue paint on the walls. He moved quickly through entry way and into the main room. _This will make a perfect war room._ Draco took the various pieces of furniture that littered the floor and worked to piece them back together and restore them to their previous forms. A small coffee table that had been smashed in half was reconstructed as well as two large arm chairs, which Draco personalized for himself and Potter, one emerald green with a stylized "DM" and a burgundy one with "HP" for Potter. He placed the two chairs facing the fireplace with the coffee table in between. He recreated the bookshelves that flanked the brick fireplace. Ragged, torn books were reformed and placed on the shelves. He charmed the fireplace to burn without smoke leaving the chimney.

The room suddenly looked a bit too dark and gloomy for a Saturday afternoon. He walked over to the boarded up to the windows and cast a spell "_tutela os"_. Light flooded the house. It looked like the boards had been removed on the inside, but the outside still had boards covering the windows. "Perfect!" Malfoy said to himself. He moved on to the dining room.

The shattered table and chairs were restructured and cushions were fitted to the chairs. The chandelier was straightened and lit. He headed towards a closed door and opened it. "Merlin's hairy ass! What hell happened in here?" He fought the urge to vomit as he quickly closed the door and made it transparent so that he could fix the repulsive loo so that it could be used. It took him a full half-hour to clean the small room, and leave it with shine silver fixtures and spotless white porcelain.

After an hour of exhausting work, Draco decided it was time for a break. Facing the prospect of a long trek to back to Hogwarts for food, Draco does what any Malfoy would do, he called for his elf. "Pippy!" A small female elf with a golden bow in her sparse hair appeared wearing a discarded emerald towel.

"Yes, Master Draco." She said in a squeaky low voice. "What can Pippy do for her young master?"

Draco smiled. Pippy had found another outfit. When he left for Hogwarts she had been wearing a dress from the golden napkins his mother had discarded after their Summer Gala. "Could you please bring me a snack."

The petite elf disappeared with a pop, and reappeared only minutes later. Draco watched as Pippy set two butterbeers, a roasted chicken sandwich, and two Cauldron Cakes in front of her master. "Is there anything else Pippy can do for Master?"

Draco popped open the butter beer. "I have a special job for you Pippy. I would like for you to stay here and take care of this house. Just keep it clean for me and my friend. Please don't let anyone know about this okay?" Pippy nodded solemnly. Right now I need you to go through the rest of the house and fix the floors and walls and windows like I have down here. Then clean up the dust and put the broken furniture back together. I will be up in a few minutes to help you.

"Yes Master Draco." She said as she disappeared up the stairs.

The blond ate his sandwich in silence. _I have done a pretty damn good job, here. I hope Potter likes it, because there is no way I am redoing this. _A shuffling sound came from the newly appointed War Room. Draco picked up the two drinks and strolled into the War Room. Harry Potter stood in the center of the room, facing the fire place. "Need a drink, Potter?"

The dark haired boy carefully closed the trap door. "Oi, Malfoy! I like what you have done with the place." He reached for the butter beer. "I think you should put out the fire, though. I wouldn't want anyone investigating."

"Don't worry, there is no smoke leaving the chimney." Draco gestured towards the windows. "There are still boards on the windows from the outside, but we can see outside. Thought it would lighten up the place. Let me give you a tour of our new abode." He put out his arm and gestured towards the main room. "This room is our War Room."

Harry walked up to the chairs and saw his initials. "Nice touch Malfoy." He followed Malfoy into the dining room. "Our dining room. I put cushions on the seats. Wouldn't want The Boy Who Lived to have a sore bum."

"Very funny. A-ha-ha-ha. What is upstairs?" Harry asked.

Draco's brows furrowed. "I don't know. I sent Pippy upstairs to start cleaning upstairs just before you got here. Let's find out."

They started up the stairs. "You sent for your house elf and set it to cleaning this wreck of a house?" At the top of the stairs, Pippy appeared.

"Hello Master Draco and his friend." The female elf curtsied prettily. "I have done what Master asked."

Draco smiled. "Thank you Pippy. Would you please give us a tour?"

The house elf blushed. "Of course Master." She curtsied again. "This way please gentlemen." She walked down the upstairs hall. The first door opened. "This is the master bedroom. There were two smaller rooms on the other side of the hall and another loo, but I made the other side exactly like this room, if that is okay master."

Harry and Draco walked into the emerald room. The furniture was black wrought iron and glass

and the hangings were Slytherin green. Malfoy's initials were embroidered in silver. "Very nice Pippy. Very nice. I am proud of you."

"I did the loo the same, in silver and green, Master just the way you like it." Pippy said blushing profusely. "Would you like to see the other suite?" she asked.

"Of course Pippy. You didn't do it in Slytherin colors, did you?" Harry asked as they followed the creature across the hall.

Pippy turned looking slightly offended, "Of course not Mr. Potter. I copied the colors from the big room downstairs, just like Master said to." She opened the door.

It was an exact replica of Draco's suite, in Gryffindor colors of course, with mahogany wood instead of wrought iron and glass. "Well done Pippy. You have a very talented and clever house elf there, Malfoy."

"I know." He said. He pulled out a small package and threw it on the ground. "Pippy, I have decided to get rid of this, it was not what I wanted." He smirked and turned to Potter. "Are you ready to make a game plan?"

As they descended the stairs, Harry couldn't help but ask. "What was in that package?"

Draco smirked, "Watch and see. Pippy?" he called.

"Yes Master?" the elf asked. She was outfitted in a cute little pink dress. It was the size of a muggle baby doll dress and looked kind of cute, but out of place on the elf.

"Would you please bring Potter and me some writing materials and parchment?" he asked.

"Of course, Master." She disappeared.

"Thank you, Pippy."

Harry smiled, "Who would have guessed that the Prince of Slytherin would say 'please' and 'thank you' to a servant?"

Draco sat in his arm chair. "Let's not let this get out."

Pippy reappeared with the requested materials.

"Thank you, Pippy. Please go make yourself a home in the kitchen. Make sure it is warm and you have a nice soft clean bed." The little house elf curtsied and disappeared. "Alright Potter, we only have four hours, so let's get to work."

_War Room, Shrieking Shack, September 6th, 3:34 pm_

Draco and Harry were exhausted. They had documented the details of every dream or incident involving the girls. They also took the precaution of placing copies of their relevant memories into pensieves, just in case that "no one else can know" rule came into play. They also made small pensieves that looked like a marble to carry with them, in case they learned something important and needed to store the memory immediately.

"Alright Malfoy, what do you have?" Harry asked.

Malfoy ran his long fingers through his white blond hair. "Okay, here goes. I have one month of dreams about Hermione. Nothing relevant to this, as I am sure your dreams were of similar events." He looked at Harry who blushed slightly. "I have a dream with the old man. I am the 'dragon'. There are six individuals involved, 3 male and 3 female. Four of the 6 are known: me, you, Granger, and the she-Weasel." Harry took a deep breath. "Okay, me, you, _Hermione_, and _Ginny._ The six of us are descended from three goddess: Macha, Morrigan, Badb and their respective mortal mates. Something went wrong with each couple. Don't know what. Got all pissy like females do, and there was a curse, no doubt. Three thousand years to fix. If not the world will end. Surprise, surprise. Something about self-destructing, on the females' parts. That is what I have for players and plot. What have you got for rules and regulations, Boy Wonder?"

"Well, Bouncing Blond Ferret." Harry said with a cheeky grin. "According to the girls, who read from that book, one that we can't read, there are a few ground rules. That 3000 years ends this July-ish. Their attempt begins the _Lammas_ after the death of the last of the previous generation. I am going to assume that is this year, and according to these dreams probably sometime in July or August-ish, then…"

"Oh, no. You are right Potter. Lammas is a harvest festival. We had the party on August 1st. That is the night I started having those dreams." Draco put his face in his hands. "But that isn't the bad news. Lammas is the beginning of handfasting season. It lasts from August 1st to September 1st. For Muggles it is more of a semi-permanent not quite binding agreement. For wizards, it is a little more complicated."

"What do you mean more complicated?" Harry asked worriedly.

Draco cringed slightly the memory of his meeting with Lucius concerning Lammas when he was fifteen. "Here Potter, let me show you." He pulled out his mini pensieve and said the spell that made that memory accessible to Potter. He didn't want to put it in his pensieve, just in case Potter accidentally viewed another one of his memories. "Here, see for yourself."

Harry entered Malfoy's memory with ease.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
_He was standing in what must be Lucius Malfoy' study. A slightly younger Malfoy walked through the heavy wooden door. _

"_Have a seat, son." Lucius said in a cold voice. Malfoy sat uncomfortably in the leather chair facing his father's desk._

"_Yes Father." Malfoy said. "What can I do for you?"_

"_As you know, tomorrow is your mother's Lammas Festival Gala. What do you know about Lammas, Draco?" the white haired wizard asked._

_Draco looked confused. "It is an ancient festival celebrating the harvest, sir. I don't know why; we don't even own farms do we? Mother always makes a big deal and throws a big party."_

_Lucius smirked. "Ah, young dragon, it is that and more. It is also the time of an ancient pagan tradition. Handfasting. You are aware of what that is, correct?" Draco nodded._

"_Are you also aware that taking any woman during Lammas, from sundown August 1st to sundown September 1st, is the same as marrying her for a full year and one day?"_

_Draco paled. "Sir?" He had plans for that night, until this meeting. Thank Merlin, he was having this conversation now instead of later. _

_Lucius looked at his pale son. "I see you had plans for a certain young lady tonight. Heed my warning Draco. If you sleep with any female for the next month she is your wife. For an entire year. More importantly she will be a Malfoy. There is nothing I can do for you if this happens. Nothing, no strings to pull in the Ministry, no dark magic to undo this. It is permanent. For an entire year and one day. Remember no women from sundown tomorrow to sundown September 1st. Or she will be your wife."_

"_Yes, sir." Malfoy squeeked._

"_You may go now." Lucius said and waved his hand._

Harry resurfaced. "What does this mean Malfoy. It is September 6th, Lammas is already past. I didn't sleep with…" Harry paled, as pale as Malfoy was now. "Before sunset on September 1st. Oh, no Malfoy, tell me you didn't. Not you and Hermione. On the train, come on. Oh crap. The train. Sun pouring through the windows. Come on, Malfoy. Tell me we didn't."

"We did." Draco said dryly. "We are. There is nothing we can do. Sleeping with them is the same as mutual consent to the marriage. There is only one problem. I don't even know if it was Granger. While you were looking at my memory, I looked in my pensieve, and her face was blurry. I couldn't even see her hair. It might not have even been her. I can't imagine why. I know when I saw the girl, she had the same hair, I think, as the girl from my dreams. I just can't remember it."

Harry rushed over to his pensieve and sifted through his memories. A few minutes later, he exited the memory. "It is the same. I can see her body, and that tattoo around her belly button, but that is it." He sighed. "That is all. No face, no hair, no way to identify," he gulped. "My wife."

Draco sat back in his arm chair and closed his eyes. His mind rummaged through everything they had talked about and everything he knew about this situation. _The memory is there, but no face, no identification. Just a tattoo. _Draco's eyes flew open. "You are a genius Potter. I never thought I would say it, but you are."

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" Harry asked. All I said was that my memory was missing a face and hair, nothing but her body."

"Exactly. Her body. And what was on her body?" Draco raised his eyebrows in question.

A light went on in Harry's mind. "A tattoo!" His face dropped. "Please tell me your girl didn't have a sideways"69" tattooed around her belly button."

"Kinky, but no, an 'M' with an extra, crooked hump. Think Potter. Where have you seen a symbol that looked like a sideways '69'?" Draco asked.

"Astronomy? Yes. First year. Signs of the zodiac. That is the symbol for Cancer, with a birthday in July. Ginny's birthday is July 16th and she is a Cancer." He sighed heavily. "Thank Merlin." His face dropped. "Oh, bloody hell. Ron is going to freak. Arthur and Molly are going to kill me. I married Ginny."

"And I married Granger." Draco said quietly as Harry tried to take deep calming breaths. He recognized the tattoo that was just above Hermione's, the one he glimpsed right before her skirt disappeared. _She is going to kill me!_

Pippy popped into the room. "I am sorry Master Draco, but it is 4 o'clock. Supper is soon and you have that class meeting tonight at eight."

"Damn." Malfoy breathed. "Alright Potter, I guess it is time to head back and get ready for supper." He closed his mini pensieve and put it in his pocket. "Please keep things neat, Pippy. Don't let anyone but me and Potter in okay. When you get hungry, just go to the kitchens."

As they slipped through the trap door, Harry had a thought. "Well I guess since we married them, this mean we know that we are the two pairs for sure. Now all we have to do is figure out who the other pair is."

"Yeah, that and figure out what went wrong in the first relationship and not repeating allowing the mistake to be repeated. Or the world will end."

_A/N:_ "_tutela os" _means 'guarded sight' In Latin_._ I am aware that Ginny's B-Day is August 11th, but it didn't work for my story that way, so I changed it. We'll just call it artistic license…


	13. Hidden Headquarters

Chapter 13

Hidden Headquarters

~*~*~*~*~*~

_Library, September 6th, 11:30 am_

Hermione was still in shock as she sat in the library, studying for Transfiguration . She had been in here since just after dawn. _Okay let's be honest. I wasn't studying. If I hadn't had that stupid dream, I wouldn't have spent the last 6 hours hiding in the restricted section of the library. DOING NOTHING!_ Hermione was sure that was what annoyed her worse. It wasn't the fact that she had spent 6 hours in the library on a lovely fall day, it was the fact that she had spent 6 hours in the library on a lovely day, and had nothing, absolutely nothing, to show for it. _Damn Malfoy. I have got to do something. I have to get my mind back on track._

Her mind sped through all that she had to get done: _study for Transfiguration, Potions, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Herbology, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, and History of Magic. Not to mention find the third sister, solve this damned riddle, oh yeah, and save THE WIZARDING WORLD!!!!! _"I just don't have enough bloody time!!!" she practically shouted.

She gathered up her things and rushed across the castle and into the Room of Requirement. Hermione was amazed at what she found when she closed the door. The walls were covered in maps of Hogwarts and the surrounding areas. In the center of the room was a 3D model of Hogwarts Castle, complete with moving staircases and little replicas of the students as they roved around in the castle. _Perfect! _She dropped her books where she stood to get a closer look. She touched a window in the west wing staircase, and the model opened up for Hermione. She could see the entire 4th floor floor plan. Madame Pince was scolding two third years. "Amazing! Absolutely amazing."

An idea popped into her head. If this was similar in function to the Marauder's Map, maybe, just maybe it would show her what she needed to find. "Show me all unused rooms in Hogwarts." Most of the castle disappeared, leaving behind hundreds of room, suspended in place. _And I thought the Hogwarts I was familiar with was huge! Need to be more specific. _"Removed all rooms that have been used since Albus Dumbledore first came to Hogwarts." Half of the rooms that were left disappeared. _How much more specific can I get? _"Remove all rooms that I cannot enter." Only 30 or so rooms were left. "Show me the three rooms that have remained unused the longest."

Five rooms remained. One was under the Black Lake, accessed from the broom closet in the Entrance Hall. Another was just behind the DADA class room closest to the Ravenclaw Tower, on the 1st floor. The third was on the second floor, its passage way leading to the Greenhouses on the ground floor. Hermione was surprised to see a tunnel that led from the sixth floor of the Astronomy Tower, down into the dungeons below.

"Show me the Astronomy Tower Passage in more detail, please."

Everything else disappeared, and the top floor enlarged, as did the passage that connected it to the underground rooms. It looked to Hermione to be about 100 yards long. Its entrance way was hidden by the stone wall opposite the window. Hermione watched as a nondescript figure tapped seven stones. The stones disappeared and the figure stepped into the wall, after which the stones reappeared behind it sealing the person in. The walls became translucent as the platform the figure stood on dropped straight down into the abandoned dungeon below.

She watched as the figure entered an entrance hall. On the far left there was a narrow passageway. Immediately to the right was a long narrow room. Immediately in front of the passageway were two rooms half the size of the first. The passageway turned to the left, two smaller rooms lined the wall. Straight ahead was a large space divided into two long rooms and two square rooms. To the right, was another room like the first two and a smaller one that were part of a hallway that connected them.

Hermione thought they were perfect. This secret place would make a perfect base of operations. She just needed to go find Ginny.

_Top Floor of the Astronomy Tower, Hogwarts, September 6th, 12:41 pm_

"What are we doing up here? We don't have any astronomy projects." Ginny said irritably. Her best friend had awakened her, and all but dragged her up five flights of stairs, and now had her standing in the middle of an empty, cold tower facing a stone wall.

Hermione smiled. "You are going to love this. It is going to be a place where we can work on our 'little project' in peace and quiet, and more importantly in secrecy. This is one of the rooms in the castle that have remained unused for the longest time." She pulled out her wand and started to tap the seven stones that would open up the secret passage. The stones disappeared, revealing a tiny space that was barely big enough for the two of them.

"No wonder no one has used this 'secret place'!" Ginny laughed and stepped into the opening next to Hermione. "It is no bigger than a brooooooommm closettttt!" As soon as Ginny stepped in, the platform they were standing on began to descend, QUICKLY. In seconds they were in complete and total darkness. "Hermione, if you are the real Hermione, where are we?" the red head said with some trepidation.

Soft laughter filled the space, and echoed off walls that were farther away than Ginny expected. "Sorry. I forgot that since we are underground and no one has been here in a very long time, that there would be no lights. _Lumos." _Hermione said as she pulled out her wand. The light from the tip of her wand was not enough. "_Induco lux lucis." _The gloomy space was illuminated without an obvious source of light. "Much better. What do you think Ginny?"

Ginny looked around the room skeptically. "To tell the truth Hermione, this place is depressing. Even with the light."

"Easily fixed." Hermione said with a flick of her wand, "_Reproba os." _A window appeared along one of the walls and it looked like there was a forest outside. "If you don't like the scenery, just change it, like you would a picture."

"Awesome, Hermione. Let's explore!" Ginny said, and they were off. "Tell me what you had in mind."

Hermione took the first right, and then another, and they were in the hallway with the two big rooms, two small rooms, and closet. "Here I was thinking we could make these two rooms into one big room, so that there are three large rooms: one for you, one for me, and one for whoever the third person is."

"As long as I get these two rooms!" Ginny smiled. "I always wanted to try my hand at interior decorating. What else do you have in mind, oh Fearless Leader?" asked Ginny as she followed Hermione to the four connected rooms.

"I want this room for a library. You know me. I figured we could make magical copies of any books that may be of interest, as well as moving my collection in here." Hermione moved to the next large room. "This room I wanted for a Headquarters Planning room. I think a work table here," She pointed to a space in the middle of the room, "and charts and timelines and such along this wall." Hermione said gesturing to the wall behind them. "The two rooms that are off of this room and another that is off the hall would make good personal studies for the three of us." She looked at Ginny. "So, what do you think?"

Ginny grinned and replied, "When do I start?"

~*~*~*~*~*~  
_Headquarters, Secret Dungeon, Hogwarts, September 6th, 5:36 pm_

After hours of hard magical alteration, the HQ looked nothing like the dark and dank dungeons that Ginny and Hermione had entered four hours earlier. The stone walls had been charmed, with the top ¾ painted a light and airy cream and the bottom was covered with warm walnut wainscoating. Charmed windows dotted the 'exterior' walls to let 'natural' light into the space according to the time of day.

Unused passages were covered with stone, to keep out unwanted guests, not that any were expected and a 'Protego totalum' charm was placed around the perimeter as an extra safety precaution. Each of the three bedrooms were outfitted with a queens sized bed, nightstand, armoire, and a lamp and a nice sized loo. The studies were similar, clean with a desk, chair, and a plush carpet. They would get to personalize their spaces tomorrow. It just needed to be livable for now.

The library was three walls of books, floor to ceiling, and a fireplace with cozy armchairs. The Planning Room was just as Hermione had intended. They made the two spare rooms on the right into a dining room and kitchen just in case.

Ginny looked down at her watch. "Hermione, it's a quarter til six. Supper is in an hour, we have to hurry!" She yelled from the completed kitchen.

Hermione responded from the library. "Alright, I'll meet you at the entrance." She put the last book into place and went to join Ginny.

The girls stepped onto the tiny platform. "Hermione, Can I ask you a question?" The platform zoomed up.

"You kinda already have, but go ahead." Hermione replied with a chuckle.

"Why did we _**really**_ spend hours in an unknown dungeon? We both know we could have just used the room of requirement. What gives?" Ginny asked matter-of-factly. She was well on her way to becoming a future Mrs. Weasley clone.

Hermione licked her lips as her curls swept around her face. "Well, you remember yesterday when Malfoy made my shirt disappear?"

"Heck yes, then you one upped him and made your skirt disappear! I thought you were going to Avada him for sure. You should have seen the look on his face when you turned to leave!" Ginny answered as they stepped from the platform and into the still empty greenhouse.

A blush crept across the brunette's face. "That is the point. When he looked at me in just my bra, something happened. I started to have little flashes of images rush through my mind." _He was caressing my neck while nibbling on my ear. Long, pale fingers ran up my legs and kneading my bum. _Hermione started to blush an even darker shade of red. _"_Last night, when I got back to my room, I tried to sleep, but every time I did, I dreamed Malfoy and I were…um… making love."

"That's strange." Ginny said starting to feel a little guilty. "Any way we both know _that_ could never happen." She said nervously.

"I know, I mean we were…_making love_…on the Hogwarts Express of all places! How unlikely." Hermione said, trying to rationalize the unlikely happening. They walked into the castle. "But it felt so REAL. Not that I know what it is like per se, but…" She stopped. There weren't words to describe what it felt like. "It is one thing to say I slept with Malfoy, but on a train? I don't think so! It has to be a trick of the mind. So as soon as the sun came up, I went to the library to do homework, and those thoughts kept invading my mind. There was no peace! Even in my favorite place!"

She smoothed out her skirt as they reached the stairs to Gryffindor Tower. "I had to find somewhere that there couldn't possibly be any reminders of him. Real or imaginary. So I went to the room of requirement and there it was. A 3D model of Hogwarts. Eventually," she thought about the ridiculous number of questions she had to ask, "it showed me our haven. And for the last few hours, I haven't had one naughty image of Malfoy. So, to me, it was worth it."

"Hmm." Ginny said, trying to decide if she should tell Hermione the truth.

Hermione stopped. "Maybe it has something to do with the prophecy. What if Malfoy is my mate?" She turned to look at Ginny. "Have you been having any _strange_ dreams? With someone we know, perhaps." The red-head blushed. "I knew it! You have, who?"

"You already know. It was Harry." Ginny said. "Yes, it was on the train, too." She knew she had to tell her best friend. "Look, its like…"

The brunette cut her off. "Wonderful we are two-thirds of the way there. Now that we know who we are, the four of us, we know also know what is going to happen!" Her steam suddenly left her and her voice lowered. "Malfoy is going to betray me, and Harry…"

"Isn't even going to give me the chance and he is going to die. They both will," Ginny finished sadly.

_HQ, Secret Dungeons, September 7th, 4:38 am_

Ginny had been working furiously all day and into the night. She was running on fumes. After that episode of Morrigan and Cuchulainn, she knew she had to do something and sleeping was not currently an option. It would have been nothing but wasted time. That was something Ginny couldn't stand. Instead, she did what Weasley women did best. Multi-tasked. While recording the events of 'the episode' on one the white boards in the Planning Room, she had repainted her bedroom a smoky blue and her study midnight blue and changed the 'window' scene to a spring morning and brewed a strong cup of tea.

The witch had been working so intently that she hadn't noticed Hermione exit the library, where the older girl had been unloading her books from her trunk and organizing their growing collection. While putting away her personal collection in the library, she had noticed a light under the door coming from the Planning Room. Earlier that night, while heading for the HQ, Hermione was still amazed with how her night had evolved. In her attempt to avoid dealing with Malfoy, she had brought her things down to her new room. After unpacking her personal items, she had moved on to her office where she documented the events that had transpired and placed her memory into her personal pensieve.

Now she opened the door that separated the library from the Planning Room, her "locomotor'ed" trunk floating at her heel. She watched Ginny working like a woman possessed. Hermione cleared her throat to get the younger girl's attention. The girl responded by spinning to point her wand at Hermione's figure.

"Oh!" Ginny squeaked. "Sorry. I didn't know who it was." She immediately went back to her tasks. She was currently making copies of important lines of text from the book they had found in Flourish & Blotts, and placing them on one of the many white boards Hermione had placed in the room the day before. Three of the boards were grouped together under a golden 'The Morrigna' plaque. Information for each of the respective women was found underneath her name. Pictures of Macha and Morrigan graced their almost full boards, while only a few lines and no picture was on Badb's. Pictures of their many predecessors had been enlarged and placed above the fireplace. Ginny thought that a constant reminder of what was at stake might help motivate them.

Hermione tried to think of what else needed to be done. _I've got it! _She thought to herself as the idea began to form in her mind. She turned to find a small wall next to the door to the library. A giant calendar appeared on the wall, spanning from June until the one still to come. She began to place little notes on the dates that something important had happened. If it concerned Ginny, it was written in sapphire; Hermione's was written in emerald. Everything else was written in black.

By the time Hermione had finished and sunk into her green chair to critique her work, Ginny had joined her, and silence ensued for a while. "Couldn't sleep?" Ginny asked after about fifteen minutes. Hermione looked at her friend and nodded. "Me, too. Couldn't go, couldn't sleep, so I kept on working."

Hermione looked down at her watch. "It's almost time for breakfast. What do you think about getting some breakfast and coming back here to crash, before we try to decipher what happened?" She asked.

Ginny nodded and retreated to her room to shower and change into clean clothes. Hermione soon followed. After the night they had had, they looked like hell!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Great Hall, Hogwarts, September 7th, 7:06 am_

Draco had had a horrible night's sleep. _I feel so guilty, and I haven't even done a bloody thing!_ He thought to himself. All but stomping to the Slytherin table, the plopped down into his place next to his best friend, Blaise Zabini, who instantly noticed something was up with his best mate.

"Rough night for you too?" He asked smirking.

Draco just glared back at him. "Yeah, thanks for noticing. Was it the dark circles under my eyes, or my exceptionally chipper demeanor?" He grabbed a piece of bacon and popped into his mouth. "It was another one of those nights. You know I have never slept well." In fact, he had special permission from Dumbledore to keep a supply of Dreamless Sleep locked up in his room, for which he was grateful. Lately, however, it hadn't quite lived up to its name. The dreams were still there.

His sleep had been invaded by the images he had seen when Hermione had taken his outstretched hand. He nibbled on a piece of toast thoughtfully. It had been so odd for him to feel the way he had. He had felt such love for that woman, Macha. His heart has swelled with pride when his hand caressed her rounded belly. Never had he felt the like.

His silver eyes began to water and he quickly wiped away the proof of his emotions before anyone noticed. _Blaise is too perceptive._ He knew the man had loved her and their unborn child. _How could he have thrown all of that away?_

*~*~*~

_Draco was transported back in time. _

_He watched the man as he entered the town. The sights and sounds and smells had enveloped him. The blond was helpless as he watched Crunnchu met acquaintance after acquaintance. The drinks began to flow and Draco had a bad feeling, as the man began to brag about his wife. _

"_Ever since she appeared at my door, my holdings have increased tenfold! My stock is rapidly increasing and my crops are full and ripe!" __Shut up you idiot! __Draco wanted to scream at the fool. "Not only is she ravishing, my Macha is talented. Her food is divine, I am sure the king's cook doesn't have the talent she has in her little finger." He boasted, raising his pinkie for emphasis._

_At that very moment, Draco noticed a very regal figure passing behind the crowd. __Oh no! __He thought. __This is not going to go very… __"She is so swift, she could probably outrun the king's greys!" She shouted above the din. Draco watched in horror as an angry looking figure crossed the space._

"_Can she now?" the king asked, standing directly behind Crunnchu. Draco noticed the expression on the man's face as he realized what had happened. "As a connoisseur of fine horseflesh, we shall see." He said with a malevolent laugh. He called to his guard and had them arrest the drunken man. "Go to his home and bring me this Macha before sunset. We shall see who is the fastest." He ordered._

_Crunnchu tried to beg the king's forgiveness with no success. "She will come, or you will die." _

_He looked at the man with malice in his old brown eyes. "And she will race, or she will die."_

*~*~*~

Blaise waved his hand in front of Draco's face. "Hello, Draco?" He poked his friend in the arm. "Is anybody home?"

Snapping out of it, Draco slapped Blaise's hand out from in front of his face. "Of course I am here! Where else would I be?"

"I dunno. You just started to stare off into space. Didn't move for ten minutes or so." Blaise replied and took a sip of pumpkin juice. "Well, now that you are back in the land of the living, I have a small announcement. There is one less female in the vicinity for you to indulge in. I wouldn't want you to accidentally poach." He smiled at Draco.

Two years earlier they had agreed to inform the other of any official relationships, after Blaise had tried to make a move on a pretty little Ravenclaw Draco had been seeing.

"Who?" Draco asked simply.

Blaise smiled proudly. "Daphne Greengrass."

~*~*~*~*~*~

_Shrieking Shack, September 7th, 12:02pm_

Harry was pacing. He looked at his watch again. _12:02. where in the bloody hell is Malfoy, _he silently fumed. _He said noon and it two bloody minutes after!_ The door behind him creaked as it opened. "Where the hell have you been, Mal…?" He began to yell. Then he saw Pippy, shaking in the doorway. "I am so sorry, Pippy. I thought you were Malfoy."

Pippy wiped the tears from her eyes with her new shiny dress. "C-can I g-get you anything Mr. Potter?" She asked hesitantly.

Just as Harry was about to respond in the negative, heavenly smells reached is nose, through the open doorway behind Pippy. _Ahh! _He thought as he took a deep breath, inhaling the scents.

"Sweet Merlin, Pippy!" He breathed as he began to follow his nose. "What have you been up to in here Pippy?" He asked upon entering the kitchen.

Pristine white countertops were covered in an assortment of baked goods. Aromatic apple pie was flanked by flaky apple fritters and apple turnovers. Harry soon realized apples weren't the only thing on the menu. Trays of treacle tart touched plates of puffy pumpkin pasties. Next to the oven, a dozen or more ramekins of bread pudding were neatly arranged, awaiting the butter rum sauce that simmered in one of the two pots on the stove. Steaming apple cider bubbled away happily, with clove studded orange wheels and whole cinnamon sticks, in the other pot.

"Did you make all of this yourself, Pippy?" Harry asked, as his mouth began to water.

Pippy looked a little confused. "Of course Pippy made this, Mr. Potter." She gestured to the assortment of treats. "These are Master Malfoy's favorite treats. Pippy has made them for him every fall since he was two." The small elf looked at Harry's hungry eyes. "Would you like Pippy to bring you a tray?"

Harry could only nod.

"Wonderful! Pippy will bring it straight away." She said matter-of-factly, as she ushered him to the door.

He found himself in the War Room. Before Harry could get settled in his chair, he heard a 'pop' and Pippy was suddenly in front of him with a golden tray laden a variety of the treats from the kitchen and a ceramic jug of the cider, with a matching cup. Before he could say thank you she was gone.

_Yum!_ Harry thought as he picked up an apple fritter. _My favorite!_ Just as he was about to take a bite of yummy apple goodness, a voice broke the silence.

"Drop that fritter, Potter!" Draco shouted.

The raven haired boy ignored him and tried to fit as much of the pastry as he could into his mouth. "What?" He asked mischievously, with his mouth full.

"Oi, Potter!" He said, as he headed for his chair. "That was my apple fritter!"

"Nope, Malfoy. That's where you're wrong. That fritter was mine, all mine!" Harry said when he had finished chewing. "Your sweet little Pippy brought it right to me." Draco's face was starting to turn lightly pink. "Too bad your elf likes me more than she likes you!"

Irritated, Draco shouted, "Pippy!" Before he could snatch one of the three remaining fritter's from Potter's tray, Pippy appeared bearing a tray that was twice as full as Harry's.

"Yes, Master Malfoy?" she said sweetly, knowing her master would be pleased. She placed the silver tray next to Harry's gold one.

Draco smiled smugly. "Thank you, Pippy. That will be all." He looked over at Harry, whose jaw had dropped at the sight of Draco's tray. "You were saying, Potter?"

After munching in relative silence for a few minutes, Harry decided to dive head first into the reason for their meeting. "So Malfoy, what was this something 'odd' that happened?"

The blonde wiped the crumbs form his hands and took a thoughtful sip of his cider. Harry sat quietly as Draco told him what had happened in the Heads' Common Room. "But that wasn't the really weird part. This morning at breakfast, I was sitting at breakfast and it triggered another vision, but this time, it was more from my point of view."

At the end of Draco's tale, Harry bit his lip. He told Draco about the incident in the Gryffindor common room, and then later in the shower. "I guess we are really racking up on the visions. If we were in Divination, we would have passed with flying colors. Death. Deception. More death. Too bad."

_Yeah. _Draco thought. _Trelawney would just love to hear about dreams with the faces smeared out like… _"What Potter, I just had an idea. You said deception. You may be on to something." He reached into the pocket where he kept his emergency pensieve. He conjured up four clear vials. "Extract two memories. One of you and Weasley from the train and one of the conversation we just had. I will do the same." He handed Harry two of the vials.

They quickly set about retrieving the memories. When they were finished, they set the four vials out. "Tell me Potter, what do you see?"

Harry looked closely at the tubes. "Two look like they are smooth, almost like silver whipped cream, but see through." He picked up the other two. "But the two memories from the train are the same silver, yet they look thicker, maybe even lumpy."

"Exactly! The two from the train have been tampered with." Malfoy said angrily. "Someone went into our memories and removed the faces, so that they appeared like dreams to us, instead of memories."

Harry blanched. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "You don't think it was Hermione, do you? I mean she is smart enough."

"But not quite devious enough. She is too much the honest Gryffindor." He put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Unfortunately for you mate, I think our culprit is Ginny Weasley."

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Ah, what tangled webs we weave, when first we practice to deceive! Yay! The secret is out! But what does it all mean?

"_Induco lux lucis" = _bring in the light_ & _"_reproba os"_ = false sight

Reviews are always appreciated. Much love!

kl


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